Mike Vrabel shares his bold expectations for New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye as he enters his second year in the NFL.
Mike Vrabel Sets Bold Expectation for Patriots’ Drake Maye in Year 2 originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The New England Patriots are entering a new era in Foxborough in 2025 with head coach Mike Vrabel and quarterback Drake Maye leading the charge. Vrabel brings years of success and experience from his days with the Tennessee Titans and his playing days with the Patriots, and Maye looks to make a big jump in his second season in the NFL.
On Monday morning, the Patriots' new head coach joined WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show" and discussed his expectations for his young quarterback heading into his second season. There's going to be ups and downs for Maye throughout the year, but his leadership is what Vrabel will be paying close attention too.
“The expectation is that he’s leading this football team. That’s what the job of the head coach and the quarterback is," Vrabel said. "That’s pretty much how this thing goes. And that he can’t take days off. I mean, sometimes the performance isn’t going to be extraordinary, but the leadership and the demeanor has to be. And I think he’s learning that.
"I love the fact that he’s willing to learn and push and try to do those things to where he’s demanding of everybody and making sure that everybody’s on the same page.”
Josh McDaniels on Drake Maye's development in year No. 2:
— 98.5 The Sports Hub (@985TheSportsHub) August 11, 2025
"He's done a lot of good things...just encouraged by what we're doing every day, really like the trajectory that we're on."@Pats_Radiopic.twitter.com/pS3QAGgBQo
Both the head coach and quarterback have demonstrated that throughout the offseason. During minicamp, Vrabel challenged Maye by having him lead sprints during practice where he had to call out a cadence and ensure everyone started on the correct count.
Not only did it force Maye to be loud so everyone could hear, while being out of breath from running sprints, but the young quarterback led the sprints just as he would the offense on Sunday.
Then during the Patriots' break between minicamp and training camp, Maye gathered a group of players together to get some extra work in before the team reported back for camp.
Mike Vrabel says one way Drake Maye has shown how he’s growing as a leader was how he organized offseason workouts with teammates.
— Phil Perry (@PhilAPerry) July 23, 2025
Said Maye took on “95 percent” of the travel, housing, location planning.
How Maye makes this his team is one of the storylines to track in camp. pic.twitter.com/oJwRtkXZno
The Patriots' 22-year-old quarterback seems to be embracing a new leadership role in 2025, and that not only will build his confidence, but also the trust and confidence his teammates have in him.
While Maye has had a strong training camp, the preseason opener was different. The young quarterback finished the game against the Washington Commanders with just three completed passes for 12 yards and added 16 yards on the ground. But he also fumbled on the Patriots' first offensive drive.
“Sometimes we just can’t try to make plays because they turn into bad ones,” Vrabel said. “I think he’ll learn from it and understand, 'OK, I’m not going to be able to play Superman all the time, and I can reserve the right to punt and help this football team flip the field, go play defense and get another crack at it.'”
The Patriots wound up crushing the Commanders 48-18, but the outcome isn't what's most important during preseason. Maye will learn from his mistakes, and that's what preseason is about.
As Vrabel noted, New England's defense should also be much-improved in 2025, which should give Maye more confidence. The Patriots loaded up on the defensive line and added proven veterans as linebackers and cornerbacks.
There's a lot of expectation for growth in New England in 2025, and much of that starts with their young quarterback. But, regardless of the stats or performance on the field, Vrabel wants to see leadership and effort from Maye.
Related: Patriots’ Young CB Shines Bright Amid Injured Secondary Challenges
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Football
