Drake Maye expands on defenses of Jerod Mayo, Patriots coaches

Several days before the New England Patriots fell to 3-12 via this past Sunday's 24-21 loss at the Buffalo Bills, Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye insisted he and his teammates were "behind" first-year head coach Jerod Mayo. 

Following New England's latest defeat, a somewhat defiant Maye said rumors suggesting the club could part ways with Mayo and/or offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt were "BS." 

During a Monday appearance on Boston sports radio station WEEI, Maye expanded on his recent public endorsements of his current coaching staff. 

"Yeah, it’s just a quarterback, just defending, you know, my people," Maye explained, as Audacy's Tom Carroll shared. "The people, you know, I work so hard with week-in-and-week-out. And I think just — I feel like it was the right time, and I appreciate those coaches for, you know, putting the trust in me. They drafted me, so I’m gonna go to war with those guys anytime." 

The Athletic's Chad Graff was among those who indicated after the Buffalo game that Mayo's seat could "be getting warmer" in part because Patriots owner Robert Kraft and team president Jonathan Kraft may view former Tennesee Titans head coach and Patriots Hall of Famer Mike Vrabel as an upgrade. Different reports have mentioned the New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets as possible landing spots for Vrabel. Thus, the Krafts must make a final call on Mayo's status soon if they're serious about pursuing Vrabel in January. 

During his fiery post-game comments on Sunday, Maye noted that he is "proud to be a Patriot." On Monday, the third overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft was asked why he feels that way amid a frustrating season for the organization. 

"Yeah, I’m just fortunate they took a chance on me," Maye responded. "You know, I’m fortunate to be in this, up here with these guys, in this organization. What a winning history — I think that’s what you wanna be around, somebody who expects winning, and that’s how I grew up, you know? Expecting to win ...And just the fanbase, how they’ve embraced me, I appreciate it. And, shoot, it’s just an awesome place to play football, and it’s a big responsibility playing quarterback here. And I take that, you know, with a lot of responsibility."

As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Patriots as four-point underdogs for Saturday's home game against the 9-6 Los Angeles Chargers. Graff wrote that Robert Kraft will "have a tough decision ahead of him if the Patriots finish this season with just three wins," so it's safe to say the best holiday gift Maye and company can give Mayo is a victory over Los Angeles.