A.J. Brown quickly learned this about Patriots' Drake Maye

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has already begun "building some chemistry" with wide receiver A.J. Brown after the Patriots acquired Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles in early June.

During an appearance on the latest edition of the "Forged In Foxborough" podcast, Brown shared what he has learned about Maye since the much-discussed trade became official.

A.J. Brown: Drake Maye is "a true leader"

"He’s a true leader," Brown said about Maye, per Lauren Campbell of MassLive. "And he leads the room, and it says a lot that a young guy grabs everybody’s attention. This is a leader of men I’m speaking about. And that right there is not a trait that is easily found in men. So for him to have it so young, for him to recognize that what he has in front of him, it speaks volumes, man."

Fair or not, some understandably may assume that Brown was taking at least somewhat of a shot at Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts while offering praise for Maye. The working relationship between Brown and Hurts allegedly worsened over the past couple of years, and Brown acknowledged after he was traded that "people just grow apart." 

Some are assuming that Brown, who has a history of publicly voicing his frustrations with his role in an offense, will eventually throw Maye and others associated with the Patriots under a figurative bus. Meanwhile, some were apparently concerned last summer that Maye hadn't "fully accepted" serving as the undisputed leader of the New England offense at that time. Brown's comments would lead one to believe such takes are now a thing of the past. 

A.J. Brown: Drake Maye "can make any throw"

“And like I said, the fun thing is that he can make any throw. That’s what you want to see," Brown added about Maye. "And he does it."

One can't help but wonder if Brown is among those who seemingly believe Hurts cannot "make any throw" during certain games. Regardless, Brown clearly wants it known that he is hyped to be sharing an offense with the young quarterback who finished second in 2025 MVP voting behind Los Angeles Rams star Matthew Stafford and who guided the 2025 Patriots to a 14-3 record and a trip to Super Bowl LX.