Patriots' joint practice decision will pit Drake Maye against two quarterbacks he'll be compared against throughout his NFL career

FOXBOROUGH, Mass - The New England Patriots will be tested this summer ahead of their much awaited 2025 campaign. 

The team has three preseason games, beginning with the Washington Commanders at home, followed by the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants away. 

But ahead of their matchup against the Commanders and the Vikings, the team will be holding joint practices, head coach Mike Vrabel revealed prior to the start of OTAs. 

“I think for sure that the Washington Commanders will come here and then they’ll play us, and we are excited to go to Minnesota,” Vrabel said. “It’s a good setup that they have, allows for great work. Kevin (O’Connell)’s got a — the Vikings have a great football team, and I’ve worked with them before. So I’m excited to go back up there.”

And with that, it will be a battle of the young quarterbacks. 

The Commanders selected Jayden Daniels with the second pick of the 2024 NFL Draft just before New England took Drake Maye. And then, the Minnesota Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick. 

Daniels had an impressive rookie season, finishing the year with 331 completions for 3,568 passing yards and 25 passing touchdowns along with 148 carries for 891 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. He also helped lead the Commanders to the NFC Championship game, and was awarded the Offensive Rookie of the Year Honor. 

As for McCarthy, his rookie season was cut short after he reportedly torn his meniscus in his right knee in the preseason, being placed on injured reserve. But, now that Sam Darnold is with the Seattle Seahawks, it's McCarthy's team, as he is set to be the starter. 

So, it will be quite the competition for Drake Maye, who will go up against two quarterbacks from the same draft class. Let's see who comes out on top.