PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE
PRESS CONFERENCE
January 29, 2026
Q: How are you? How's your shoulder? It came up on the injury report, so everyone's curious how you're doing. How are you feeling?
DM: I'm feeling good. I got out there, moving around a good bit today. I was able to do some of the jog through, so I'm feeling good. I'm looking forward to being ready to go. This is the game you dream of playing in, so I'm looking forward to getting out there and getting a chance to play in the Super Bowl.
Q: Were you limited at all, or do you anticipate being limited moving forward?
DM: I'm just going to try to do whatever I can to get back to 100%. I think a lot of people in that locker room would say the same thing. Having a two-week break is nice to rest a little more and get to know the Seahawks as well as I can. From there, I'm looking forward to getting out to practice and trying to transfer that to live game reps.
Q: Do you think your ability to throw will be inhibited at all in the Super Bowl based on what you know about the injury so far?
DM: No, I don't think so. That's why you spend time. That's why you have trainers. I think it's just been one of those things where it's a long season, and sometimes things show up. I'm going to do whatever I can to feel 100%. I'm sure I'll get, if not there, as close as you can, 99%, or do whatever I can to make sure I'm throwing and like I said, do whatever I can to help the team win.
Q: Did you throw today?
DM: Yeah. We went through normal practice. I did some reps and did some things where I'm looking forward to trying to get some more reps here and there and feel it out.
Q: On your bootleg drive, the offensive linemen said they didn't know it was coming. Have you ever done that before where you called in a play, and teammates didn't know it was going to go on. How much fun did you have?
DM: No, I haven't done that before. I think the guys, I asked a few of them after, and they'd rather me not tell them. I think it was a pretty cool moment for Coach [Josh] McDaniels and the guys in the box to see it and for me to try to catch the edge. I was able to catch the edge and give a little stiff arm and try to make the play. I think the shoulder is doing just fine.
Q: I want to follow that up for a second on Mark's [Daniels] question. The ability to freelance like that, when did you develop that confidence to be able to do that and the confidence in your coaches to give you that freelance ability to do that?
DM: I think that's the biggest part of what offensive football is, is trusting the coaches and the coaches trusting us to make plays. I think a lot of the times, the coaches try to do their best to say, 'Hey, we're going to scheme this up' to 'Hey, I think this guy will be open.' That's what great players and teams are for that have great players is when the coaches try to have a play that they design, I think we bring the play to life, and that's one of the best things about this game and guys on our team that can bring a play to life and take it the distance, execute to the fullest or even do something out of the play design to go make a play.
Q: Do you think, thinking back to last year, you would have the confidence to do that?
DM: Probably not as much as I do now. I think just having more experience, getting to know my teammates and playing with them longer, just the more and more we play, the more you build up confidence.
Q: Did you see the video when you were mic'd up?
DM: I did not, no.
Q: Well, it's gone crazy. I think a lot of Patriots fans saw a different side of you that maybe they didn't know about. How demonstrative you were when you were running on the sideline, talking when you got to the sideline.
DM: Yeah, I try not to watch myself mic'd up. I don't know, it feels a little strange to me. So, I don't know, I'm just trying to do whatever I can to get to the Super Bowl. I think in a game like that, where you're playing the AFC Championship with a chance to get to the Super Bowl on the line, I'm trying to win. I may not always have that competitive side of me just talking to you guys, but I think when you're keeping score, the main point is winning and getting a chance to go to the big game.
Q: Are you usually that animated in the huddle?
DM: I'm probably on the more chill and calmer side, trying to pump the guys up. I think there's a different side of me that I can start to bring out more and more, but I think just try to have self-awareness and kind of feel for what's needed in the huddle or what's at stake. I think that always adds a different element to it of this is a chance to go to the Super Bowl. Why not try to pump the guys up or show them a side of me they might not see as often?
Q: There's a moment in the mic'd up segment where you're sitting with Josh McDaniels on the bench and you say, 'Oh, this is hard,' or something like that, and he kind of talked you up a little bit. Was that playing in the weather, or what was hard in that moment?
DM: Yeah, I think when you're playing in 10-degree weather with snow hitting your face, we're slipping in the backfield and just – I think all the elements, combined with playing against a good defense, I think it's tough. I think the elements made it tough, and I think both sides would agree. So, just try to finish the game out. With how well our defense was playing, we wanted to help them out a little bit. We were able to get that last first down to not have to give it back to them, but really, just the difficulty of trying to do our part in the weather and the 30 mph winds where it's tough to throw it. Just try to figure out something to try to pull our team to have an edge or to win. I think our defense really did that all day, and we were just trying to do a small thing to make up for it.
Q: With the "Road Warriors" saying, Mike Vrabel said that he showed you guys that because he ran out of another clip or something. Why do you think it's been something that this team has embraced so much this season?
DM: I think you embrace it when you try to build an identity, and you carry it on the road with you. I think it started back in Miami. We got our first win on the road, and I think that really kickstarted it. I think being able to start 1-0, being able to build a trend of winning games on the road, starting a win streak on the road, that's tough in this league, and it's tough to do. I think that one last week was kind of the epitome of what this "Road Warriors" is like. It's not pretty. It's not going to be everything we wanted. But there's times on the road where we've been on fire, and there's times when you're just trying to do whatever you can to win. I think that's what playoff football is about, and some of the guys are bought into it to the fullest like Mack [Hollins], and it's funny to see. So, I hadn't seen the movie, but I think he killed the reference.
Q: Can you talk about the fan support you've received? We're talking to teachers that have all the kids in the fifth-grade class sending you letters, and I'm sure you're feeling the love. Do you have any comment on that?
DM: It's been awesome. I think it's been one of the coolest things, probably, about this year is seeing the fan support. A local elementary school sent me – I think every kid wrote a letter to me and just was trying to pump me up before the AFC championship. It was pretty cool. My wife got it and was sitting down and reading them, and I thought it was pretty special. So, shoutout to all the kids and even the adults that are fans of us and fans of me. I think you guys are what make this league run, what make us want to work a little harder or try to execute a little more for this fan environment. I'm looking forward to seeing the fan environment at the Super Bowl. I know there's going to be a lot of Pats fans out there. We always show out.
Q: Speaking of the fans and all that, I'm curious what your reaction is to see the fans embrace your wife, Ann Michael, so wholeheartedly, with the Bakemas videos, all her videos. I think she's already been named "Queen of the North" up here now. So, what has that been like for you?
DM: Oh, it's been awesome to follow her journey. I know I was looking forward to her getting up here. Obviously, after we got married, she came up here and had never lived up north, hadn't seen this much snow on the ground. So, it's been an adjustment for her, but she's loved it. She loves the people up here. She loves living up here. She loves the support, and she's got her own little journey that's been awesome. She's just being herself, and that's the best thing about her, and that's what I love her for.
Q: Are you surprised by all of the conversation around your right shoulder over the last couple days?
DM: No, I wouldn't say I'd be surprised. I mean, it's the right shoulder of a starting quarterback on an NFL team. So, I think it's pretty simple.
Q: You think she's a bigger star than you?
DM: My wife? I think so, for sure. I hope she gets all the love. When we're out, I hope she's the one having to take pictures, and I'm the one taking pictures this time. So, I can't wait for that moment.
Q: During the regular season, it felt like you had the mindset of scrambling to throw. In the postseason, has that shifted towards looking for opportunities to run a little bit more, and if so, what's driven that? Has it been conditions, game plan? How would you kind of categorize your mindset when it comes to scrambling?
DM: Yeah, always the first thing when I'm scrambling is trying to remain a passer as long as I can. Try to keep that element alive and try to hit a big explosive play in the pass game. That's always better than me running. They run a lot faster than me and can break a lot more tackles than I can. But I think maybe a little bit of the conditions, maybe a little bit of just how the game is going. Some of it's the defensive scheme, to maybe have a little more QB runs or scrambles, allowed to pick up some yards. I know some of the scrambles have been big time for us. Just trying to do whatever I can to remain a passer and try to hit one of the guys. If I can't, just try to go make a play.
Q: How would you describe Mike Vrabel as a motivational speaker?
DM: I think he does a great job of kind of relating to us, being able to talk as a player and now as a coach of his experiences of winning Super Bowls, the experience of making the playoffs his first year with the Steelers and not making it for four years. Just being able to kind of hit home at spots or moments this season that we can relate back to. I remember we talked about it at the beginning of the season, talking about our stories and what hopes we had. Our hopes were to win the big game and win the Super Bowl, and look where we're at now. All those hopes are coming to a reality. So, that's one of the coolest things I thought I heard this morning from him, him just relaying that to us and knowing what we dreamed of even as a little kid, back when you wanted to watch the Super Bowl at a Super Bowl party, and now we're the party. So, that's a pretty cool aspect, and I think Coach does a great job of relating to us and relaying a message that hits home for all of us.
