Bills' Josh Allen sends message to Patriots' Drake Maye amid struggles, rumors

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye may have already been dealing with potential "psychological" issues related to his poor play this season before a rumor surfaced on Wednesday claiming that he and head coach Mike Vrabel aren't on the best of terms.

Both Vrabel and Maye later attempted to silence chatter about a rift between the two amid the Patriots' preparations for their matchup at the rival Buffalo Bills (3-0) this coming Sunday. Also on Wednesday, Bills quarterback Josh Allen was asked about the struggles that Maye has endured since the opening week of this season. 

Josh Allen confident that Drake Maye is "gonna figure it out"

"Drake’s a smart kid," Allen said, per Alex Brasky of the Alex Brasky: Unfiltered Bills-related Substack. "Extremely talented. He's gonna figure it out." 

Vrabel accepted the Patriots job in January 2025 shortly after Maye finished his rookie season. Together, Vrabel and Maye guided the 2025 Patriots to a Week 5 win in Buffalo. Allen and the Bills later notched a road victory against New England in December. 

More recently, Maye committed a league-worst seven turnovers over the first three weeks of this season. According to ESPN stats, he began Thursday ranked 25th in the NFL among 30 qualified passers with a 45.9 adjusted QBR for the campaign.

Josh Allen believes Drake Maye has the work ethic to "find a way out of" early-season struggles

"He's got the work ethic," Allen added about Maye. "I got a lot of respect for him and what he's been able to do early in his career. He'll find a way out of it." 

Maye previously danced around questions about whether a lingering injury to his throwing shoulder has anything to do with his play this season. On Wednesday, he insisted that his shoulder hasn't impacted how he has been throwing the ball or his "decision-making" during games. 

As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Bills as 6.5-point home favorites over the 1-2 Patriots. One wonders what will be said about Vrabel and/or Maye if New England gets blown out at Buffalo's Highmark Stadium.