PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE

PRESS CONFERENCE
May 27, 2026

Q: I'm just wondering if you feel any difference coming in this year, being the second year in Josh [McDaniels]'s offense? And do you feel more comfortable, confident with the offense in year two?

DM: I think it's naturally gonna be more comfortable. You know, being in the huddle, saying the play calls, knowing why we're running the plays. Trying to take the next level of details and details inside each play. And I think it's fun getting to have new guys in the offense and me try to teach them what I know about it and what I think will be best for us to best execute. And I think that's what's fun – being out here and maybe trying some different things but also trying just to execute and create positive plays. So, it's nice getting another year in the same offense. It's been the first time for me in maybe four years. So, it's great to have that and have an offensive mind of Coach McDaniels and our offensive coaches are great. So, I'm really looking forward to that, and you got to keep building.

Q: To follow up with a rude question, are you thicker with two C's? Is that the way you're supposed to say it? It's kind of like the hip thing. Are you thicker with two C's? Is that how it's supposed to be?

DM: I think that's pause, if that's anything. I think that's not the way to put it.

Q: But do you feel better, do you feel conditioned as far as another year of experience, just your body getting ready for this?

DM: Yeah, I think that's just part of having a long season and being able to take some time off, come back into it and get your body right for the beginning of the season. And I think it's kind of how the NFL works. It's a long season and you tend to lose some muscle or lose some weight as the season goes on. You try to maintain that, that's what you try to build during the offseason and maintain during the season. So, that's kind of the nature of it. And just trying to be my best version of myself, and that's physically and mentally.

Q: What was your reaction to seeing the Seahawks on the schedule for week one?

DM: I think it's a chance for us to get some extra motivation during training camp. You know, starting off with the bang like that, a chance to get an opponent that left a bad taste in our mouth. So, I think it's something for us that's going to really make us work. We've got to bring it week one on the road in a tough environment. They're going to be hanging their banner, and that's the part of it. So, I think it's going to be interesting. It's going to be fun. It's going to be a tough task. So, it'll be something for us to get some extra motivation and make training camp better.

Q: We've heard a lot from the guys about watching the Super Bowl. Some guys have said they don't want to go back and re-watch the Super Bowl, some guys have said, "Yeah, learn from the mistakes." What's your philosophy?

DM: I think you definitely take a peek at it. You know, for me, on the biggest stage and a big game, and I had a lot of plays I wish I had back. I definitely watched it, and at such a young point in my career where I can still learn so much. And first time playing that defense. So, you can learn things and learn about the game. So, I think there's definitely some parts that, maybe throws that I maybe skip, or now I want to watch that again. But there's definitely the game, I think you learn so much from, mistakes that you make yourself.

Q: Drake, as you enter your second full year under Josh, is there anything specific that you don't do as well as you should, that you want to work on to create growth in this year?

DM: I think as an offense, we're just trying to keep the ball moving forward. And I think handling negative plays and realizing when we keep the ball ahead of the chains or in positive plays, or just really avoiding negative plays is the biggest thing that we're working on as an offense to try to maintain that. And I think we put some points on the board, and we've shown that we can be hard to stop when we do that. And then just, like I mentioned, the details, little things about execution and inside of each play that go a long way with us staying ahead of the chains.

Q: Drake, we saw you guys use a good amount of tempo today. Obviously, you used it at points last season. But is that something that you'd like to lean more into this season as you're now more comfortable in the offense?

DM: I think it makes it tough on the defense. You know, they got to get into calls, and sometimes the defensive coordinator is trying to get the linebacker to make a call, and the linebacker may have already made a call. And it's just tough on them. It's tough on the guys up front, slows the pass rush down. I think it's an advantage for any offense. But I think it's tough when you got to balance, you're running a play fast, but also making it a good play, not just an incompletion or something negative. So, that's what we're really trying to work on. And I think you can only use tempo as much as how well you execute and how good you are at it. So, working towards that and feeling that out.

Q: What have you seen from Will Campbell going into his second year?

DM: Yeah, Will, he's got a great mindset. I think he understands the business and what this league is about. You know, he kind of got a similar experience to me. You know, obviously the seasons that we had were different between mine and his, my first year. But he got the full length of the season, the ups and downs of it. I think he's got a great attitude. He's working his butt off in there. Those offensive linemen, they've been doing a great job in the weight room. I'm not lifting the same weights as them, but I've been there with them. So, it's fun to watch them. And I think, he's got a little extra motivation for himself to prove to us and prove to himself he can be one of the best players in this league at his position.

Q: How aware are you of the A.J. Brown rumors? How much do you know about him? And how fun would it be to throw to a guy like that?

DM: Yeah, I think it's part of the NFL. They throw names around here, around every team, depending on whoever looks best in the graphic in the jersey on social media. I'm really just focused. We've got some new guys in here that I'm working with. I know there's a lot of talk with that, but if he ends up being on our team, great. What a great player. And if he doesn't, we've still got to work these guys here. It's a tough balance, but I know he's a phenomenal player.

Q: How's it going with Romeo Doubs? You getting a connection with him, or is that still kind of a work in progress?

DM: I think it's working. I think it's building. He's eager. That's the best thing you see in a new receiver, in a new offense like Romeo. It's different terminology. He's been in an offense for a couple of years with the same quarterback. I kind of have to learn how he likes to do things, how I like to see it when he's running routes. And I think it's just going to be better and better. He's a great player. He's already been a great player in this league. So, looking forward to building that connection and finding his role in this offense.

Q: You mentioned avoiding negative plays. We saw the interception today. What happened on the play?

DM: Yeah, just left an out route inside. You can't do that in this league. It's as simple as that. I think it's part of throwing out route to the field and not being outside with the football. These players in this league are going to take it the other way. I think that's about it.

Q: This is, I think, the first time in four or five seasons that you have the same offensive coordinator going from one year to the next. What's it like to be able to kind of have that experience, get to work with Josh and have that continuity run through? Because again, you haven't had it in a while.

DM: No doubt. It's been awesome. I think not only just going and rehashing over last season, how much we learned and how much we kind of bounced ideas off each other, but also just relearning the little details that he maybe taught me last April or last March that you just kind of – "Man, OK, if that happens, I remember that and maybe get that." But I feel like I've got a good grasp of it. I've got to show that I have a good grasp of it to my teammates on the field, make a decision and put us in good plays. So, that's what I'm working towards here in OTAs. It's pretty much passing camp, so it's beautiful for me just to get back there and sling the rock. It's great work for me, and it's awesome to try to take the next steps in this offense.

Q: You mentioned the bad taste from the Super Bowl performance. Have you leaned into that in kind of moving through your offseason? Have you tried to get that out? Have you kind of embraced that aspect of things in becoming a better version?

DM: Yeah, I think that people always say flush it. I think it's hard to flush a game like that at that extent in our sport at the highest level. But at the same time, it let you learn from it, let it motivate you and let you experience what an awesome experience it was, a learning experience and a chance to feel. You always wonder what it's like, and I got to feel that. We didn't play our best as a team, and especially myself. I wish I would've played better. But that's something that I can work on today or work on tomorrow to get back, just try to get to that same spot and be on the right side of it.

Q: Maybe not a game with the same stakes, but Sunday, what can we expect?

DM: Yeah, not the same stakes at all. It'll be fun. It'll be awesome. It'll be a lot of people, hopefully. We've got some fireworks after. I haven't hit a softball, so hopefully some of the guys on the team will be hitting and hopefully get some home runs or maybe some strikeouts. It should be fun.

Q: How has being Drake Maye changed with the season you had last year, runner-up for the MVP, playing in the Super Bowl? How is it different in May of 2026 from May of 2025?

DM: I think you try not to have a change. I think you try to have the same reasons why you come into work, same reasons why you want to win football games. And I think that's one of the best things we're seeing about this team, is we want to get a get-back, kind of not feel like last year was just a one-off year and we're trying to prove ourselves to ourselves, really, and to this football league, that we're a tough team to beat. We're going to bring it every day, and I think that's what this identity and what we're building here is starting to become. I think that it takes a little bit of work to not just have a year like we did and just to – it's hard not to have a natural fall-off or get complacent. So, it's going to be a tough challenge, but at the same time, I think we're up for it and I like the guys and how we've been working towards that.