PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE

PRESS CONFERENCE
December 23, 2025

Q: I saw you looking over there. What do you think of Garrett [Bradbury] getting the Good Guy Award?

DM: Congrats to Garrett. Y'all see a little bit of what he's about in the media, and what an addition he's been this year for us. He's from my hometown. He's from Charlotte [N.C.], went to my rival college, but what he's meant to me and just the quarterback-center relationship is huge. It's huge for the offense, it's huge for my trust and confidence in the guys up front. He's been a great addition to the room, and I'm glad you guys see him the same way as we do.

Q: I wanted to ask about the Pro Bowl. Obviously, you were named today to the Pro Bowl. Just what does that mean to you? Garrett said you're more focused on winning for the team, but just what does that honor mean to you?

DM: Yeah, obviously, you want to play this game at a high level, and you want to earn the respect of your peers, your organization and around the league. It's a great honor, but like I said, like I keep saying, I care about winning. I realize what the Pro Bowl's about, and it's obviously a great honor. I don't want to kind of put that to bed like it's not a cool deal. It really is, but like I said, we've got some more important games ahead, and I'm looking forward to that.

Q: Did you get any sense from the guys in the locker room – you guys are 12-3, and only two of you made the Pro Bowl. Is that frustrating at all for you guys?

DM: I think it's frustrating for me, that guys that put in so much work into a great season, and we even have guys that are at the top of their position in the league, respected around the league and viewed that way. It's tough with how they have to try to give some to each team, and that's part of it. But I can name numerous guys on our squad that I think were deserving, and I don't want to leave out anybody's name. I don't see frustration from the guys. I think that's what's the cool part. They're focused on the games ahead and what we can do this season as a team and less worried about individual statistics and awards. That's what's cool about this team and what makes me want to be that way as well.

Q: What was the experience of being in the Pro Bowl like for you last year? Did you pick up anything from that? Was it valuable for you at all?

DM: Yeah. I think, obviously, I was probably the last choice. They finally got somebody that would go. So, I went. I was a rookie, and was like, 'Hey, it would be cool to maybe try it out.' And no, it was definitely awesome being around the older players, veterans and quarterbacks. I was around Joe Burrow and Russell Wilson. Russell Wilson won a Super Bowl; I got to spend time with him. For me, it was time that was awesome. I was with Baker [Mayfield], [Jared] Goff on the other side and Sam Darnold. Those guys, it's good to know how they carry themselves. You hear them talk about their season, losing in the playoffs and little things like that that is just invaluable for me as a young player of what it's like and seeing how bad that taste in their mouth was and how bad they want to win. It strives for what this league's about, and that's everybody getting to the playoffs, winning playoff games and getting to the big game. So, it was really cool for me to be around some of the other players that you see. Derwin James is a great player. The other guys I was throwing to, Ja'Marr Chase and those guys that are some of the best in the league. You see Justin Jefferson playing against Budda Baker. So, just numerous guys that are great players and make this league go. So, it's cool to just be around them. I definitely didn't belong, so it was cool for me to spend time and get down there in Orlando.

Q: In your first nine, 10 weeks of the season, you pretty much had the same offensive line. I think it was one game Jared [Wilson] wasn't in there. This last month or so, a lot of revolving parts, and you sort of talked about the different guys in the huddle on Sunday night. What have you observed from them in the job that they've been able to do as they sort of piecemeal this together, not just week-to-week, but sometimes game-to-game?

DM: It's been next man up. I've been really proud of those guys for stepping in. It's props to them for studying different positions. Ben Brown studying, he was in jumbo tight end last week. He's been in at guard. He's been in at both guards. So, just props to them and props to the guys that are fighting, Big Mike [Onwenu], Mo [Morgan Moses] and Garrett. I don't want to jinx anything, but they've been showing out and showing up every game. So, just proud of those guys and proud of the guys for – Thayer [Munford Jr.], and Marcus Bryant was in at Cincinnati and Ben Brown's been in. Last game, who else? V-Lowe [Vederian Lowe]. Good gosh, I can't forget about V-Lowe. V-Lowe's been – my confidence hasn't shied away or dipped at all since those guys have been in there. I trust those coaches in that offensive line room. They've done a great job this year, and I trust Coach [Josh] McDaniels' plan. He's great at adapting and not taking it easy on those guys. They've still got to block those guys eventually, but adjusting the game plan and realizing that maybe some chip help, some play action, running the ball or different things can help them out, but I trust them to drop back there, sit back there and let us do our thing.

Q: Since you made the playoffs, how do you look at these last two games? What's the message from Mike [Vrabel]? What are your thoughts about finishing things up?

DM: It's as simple as go win the division. That's what the goal was. It wasn't to make the playoffs. It was to win the division, and that's what we're going to try to do.

Q: Carlton Davis [III] told us about how when Mike first got here, he sort of said to you guys in the team meeting, 'Don't take yourselves too seriously.' He sort of was watching the way the team was and the cafeteria tensing up when he walked in. What do you remember about how he was able to set the tone early on, and do you remember when he said that to you guys?

DM: Yeah, it still happens in team meetings. He kind of uses some sarcasm and nobody really laughs, and he goes, 'It's funny. It's okay. You guys can laugh.' So yeah, I think it's a tense feeling, but I think the more you got to know him and saw him coach, you kind of lost it and just respect him for wanting to coach us hard and wanting to win. That's what he's doing every day in this building. He's carrying the same moxie and swagger, and he's not going to change. We love that about Coach. We know he's going to coach us hard, but we know he wants the best for us, and that's what's been needed. That's what continued to work. Like I said, at the end of the year, don't let it dip, keep finding that same edge, do a little more and try to do a little more at the end of the season to not look back and be like, 'Man, I wish I would have done more.'

Q: Drake, along those lines, along with winning the division, how important is it, in your mind, to finish strong and to be playing well heading into the postseason?

DM: Yeah, I think it's really important. Coach McDaniels has talked to me about improving and getting better in practice as you reach the end of the season and reach the playoff time. You want to feel like you're improving in practice and guys are practicing hard. That translates to the game. You want to practice well during the week, and you always feel like you play the best when you have a good week of practice. So, it's really big on continuing a little winning streak these last couple games, heading into the playoffs feeling good about ourselves and feeling like we've still got some work to do.

Q: Drake, I wanted to ask you about the touchdown throw to Kyle [Williams]. Can you take me back to what you saw, and is that exactly where you pinpoint ball placement? Is that like drop-it-in-the-bucket at practice?

DM: Yeah, first of all, great catch. Great job getting his feet in. He got a knee down. [Marlon] Humphrey almost had a hand in there, and what a catch by Kyle. I saw him pressed up at the line. I tried to take a shot, and tried to hold the safety a little bit from making a play on it. Maybe a little more outside, I think, would have been better to not have had the hand in there, but Kyle made a great play and a great release. He can run, so I've got to try to find a way to give him the ball more, and he keeps on making plays and making big plays when the ball's in his hands.

Q: How have you and Kyle developed that chemistry from the beginning of the season to now?

DM: Yeah, I think it's just growing together as two young players that are figuring out the offense, figuring out each other and figuring out how he likes to run routes, what releases he likes to line, how I like him to be at the top of the route, what I like him to do to stack the receiver on a go route, little things like that that I think he just keeps on wanting to improve on and try to get him some deep shots. I think he's going to be more and more involved in the shorter and intermediate passing game because he's got great route technique. He's great at the top of the route, and he's just figuring out how with his speed, he can use it to threaten DBs – they're going to be scared of his speed – to just allow him to get up and underneath more and make plays with the ball in his hands.

Q: Drake, the last couple of weeks, you guys have had some third-and-short situations, and you've gone deep. When the pass falls incomplete, I think the natural reaction is, 'Oh, why didn't you go for a safer throw.' Then you go back and look, and you've hit DeMario Douglas on some deep passes on third-and-short. So, how do you weigh the risk-reward there?

DM: You can treat it like second-and-1 and try to know that you've got a fourth down, treat it like third down down there, try to treat it like a two-down mentality, or you can try to hammer the ball 1 yard with 20 players on the field jammed up within 5 yards of space. So, it's different ways to think about it, but I also think I like our chances to keep defenses on their toes when we're getting in big personnel, or even in smaller personnel, to be able to run it in smaller or throw it in bigger. Just keep the defense on their heels and know that we can attack them either way.