Drake Maye’s rise has been nothing short of remarkable. In only two seasons, the New England Patriots quarterback has gone from an exciting young passer to a Super Bowl contender and the runner-up for the 2025 NFL MVP award.
That rapid growth has also raised expectations across Foxborough.
NFL Insider Adam Schefter Backs Patriots QB Drake Maye
During Tuesday’s edition of “NFL Live,” ESPN insider Adam Schefter said the Patriots remain a legitimate playoff threat as long as Maye stays behind center.
“As long as he’s playing quarterback, that team always is going to have a chance to make a real playoff run,” Schefter said.
If you look at how Maye performed last year, Schefter’s take will make sense.
During the 2025 season, he led the NFL in completion percentage at 72.0%, passer rating at 113.5, EPA per dropback at 0.28, and success rate at 55.2%.
Maye finished atop PFN’s QB Impact metric with a 91.8 grade, throwing for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns.
Even more impressive, those numbers came during Maye’s first season running offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ system. Learning a new scheme often slows quarterbacks down, yet he adapted almost immediately.
Now, Pats Nation has even more reason to believe Schefter’s prediction, as the Patriots upgraded Maye’s receiving corps by adding A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs. Last season, Maye’s supporting cast featured Stefon Diggs, Hunter Henry, and Kayshon Boutte.
So, adding Brown and Doubs alongside Henry gives the Patriots an even more dangerous passing attack, strengthening the case that Maye can keep New England firmly in the playoff race.
Brown is a three-time Pro Bowler who has topped 1,000 receiving yards in six of his seven NFL seasons and finished inside the top five in PFN’s WR Impact metric just one year ago.
Brown thrives on contested catches and remains one of the league’s best red-zone weapons. And Brown’s physical style and ability to win through contact fit Maye’s aggressive passing approach perfectly.
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Putting the league’s most accurate passer together with a receiver who finishes drives could help Maye erase the touchdown gap that separated him from Matthew Stafford in last season’s MVP race.
Romeo Doubs also adds another reliable option. He finished 2025 with 724 receiving yards and six touchdowns while ranking No. 29 in PFN’s WR Impact metric.
However, Pats Nation knows improved weapons do not guarantee another dominant campaign. And Maye and the Patriots will face a far tougher road than they did a year ago.
According to PFN analytics, the Patriots enter the season with the NFL’s 11th-toughest schedule. They will start the campaign with games against Seattle, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Buffalo Bills, all of which were playoff teams last year.
That stretch will show whether New England is ready to compete with the AFC’s top contenders.
However, Maye is only 23 years old and continues to grow as a quarterback. With a stronger supporting cast around him, he has every opportunity to deliver another standout season despite the tougher path ahead.
