Patriots' Drake Maye reacts to Mike Vrabel, Josh McDaniels hires

Some suggested as recently as early January that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft should retain head coach Jerod Mayo in part so that 2024 first-round draft pick Drake Maye wouldn't have to learn a new offense for a second straight offseason. 

Kraft ultimately replaced Mayo with Patriots Hall of Famer and one-time Associated Press Coach of the Year Award winner Mike Vrabel. Vrabel later brought longtime Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels back to the organization to serve as Maye's OC. 

In his first interview since the Vrabel hire, Maye spoke with SiriusXM NFL Radio about the Patriots' offseason moves. 

"He reached out to me and we got on the phone. He’s been awesome," Maye said about Vrabel, Chris Mason of MassLive shared. "Obviously, a guy who’s done it, played in the league and won [three Super Bowls]. You have a respect of what he’s done and seen what he’s done. I think the biggest thing is he’s been a head coach, and he knows what it’s like. So excited to get up to New England and get things going." 

Vrabel went 54-45 as head coach of the Tennessee Titans and guided the club to one conference championship game appearance from 2018 through the 2023 season. Meanwhile, McDaniels earned six Super Bowl rings as an assistant and coordinator across multiple previous stints with the Patriots. Future Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski is among those with ties to the organization who mentioned earlier this month how McDaniels "helped out Tom Brady tremendously" during their time together. 

Maye will now look to follow in Brady's footsteps with help from his new OC. 

"I’m fortunate to be able to have a guy come in who has done it at a high level and learn from him coaching one of the best ever — the best ever, in my opinion, Tom," Maye added about McDaniels, per Mark Daniels of MassLive. "So, I have a great chance to go back — all those years of film he has in the little database, it’s all their play-calls, all coach McDaniels' stuff and what he did with Tom. So it’s fortunate for me to go back and study it up and get ready for this next season." 

Maye will likely have plenty to learn about McDaniels' terminology before springtime workouts begin. While it's still early in the offseason, the 22-year-old seems eager to begin working with his new coaches.