PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE

PRESS CONFERENCE
August 20, 2026

Q: What is your biggest takeaway from the two practices?

DM: I think we had a lot of great work. I think the biggest thing is that is a good football team over there, and I think just not riding the rollercoaster. I feel like we had some good periods that we were attacking them and had some good plays. Then we had some periods where we got to continue the competitive stamina, and that is the thing about this game. It can't just be one play here, one play there. You got to string some plays together in a row, and I felt like we did that more yesterday than we did today. So just getting back— I know it's tough down there in the red zone, a lot of bodies in a short amount of space, but I feel like we could have done more in the red zone, and I think that is something for us to learn. It's one of our focuses this year to be better in the red zone, so we got some work to do.

Q: Drake, how is your level of play going up with A.J. [Brown] as you guys spend more and more time together on and off the field?

DM: Yeah, I think just growing that relationship. It's huge for a quarterback and receiver like himself, just to keep growing and keep –not just feeling like you are leveling them off and trying to keep getting better. So, he does a great job of talking to me, seeing what he sees, seeing what he is seeing in the DB, and just seeing what I see from my point of view. So, he is eager to learn and eager to share his opinion, and I think that is really important for a guy like him, and he will continue to make plays, and we got to find more ways to get him the football.

Q: Drake, you were saying yesterday that you make his life easier. How does A.J. [Brown] make your life easier out on the field?

DM: Yeah, I think anytime a receiver like that, who carries that much weight, and just finding ways to get him the football, and like I said, all the time, I try to get the ball into their hands because they make me look good, and that is the number one thing with A.J. He has made a lot of plays in his career, taking it the distance on crossing routes and making great catches on deep balls, and he is another leader in the huddle, too. I think that is one of the biggest things with A.J. He's got this demeanor and respect from the team that he just walked in with because of the player he has been, and I think he has taken that head on, and I really respect the way he goes about his work.

Q: Can you run us through, Drake, with the interception down here in the end zone, was there any kind of miscommunication with A.J. [Brown] on that one?

DM: No, I was just late to the football, late in the red zone. You can't be late in the red zone down there. It's tight, and it's a concept that we probably need to get some more work on and just find some timing. So, you just can't be late down there.

Q: Drake, you mentioned wanting to be better in the red zone from last season. What are the areas that you felt held you back, and how do you feel like you are progressing this season as you work through those?

DM: Yeah, I think we just got to find a way to make positive plays. I think that is the biggest thing. Try to keep moving forward, and it starts with me with communication and avoiding penalties and avoiding sacks and avoiding negative plays. So, I think that is the biggest thing with us, just to find positive plays and keep getting guys the football, and running the football, I think, is a big area as well.

Q: What do you think has been your biggest area of growth as a leader in the last year, from last year at this time in training camp to now?

DM: I think I still have ways to go. I think I still need to say more. I think I'm comfortable with a lot of guys in the huddle, a lot of guys on our team, and I think there's areas for me to take the guys on offense especially, and bring them to a different level and elevate their game, elevate my game, and kind of bleed that into the defense and the whole team. So, I got some ways to work, and I think that is the best thing about working out here and finding some adversity. You got to find something and keep straining.

Q: Drake, Romeo Doubs has made a handful of nice catches over the last handful of practices. How do you feel like your connection with him has started to grow?

DM: Yeah, he's done some great things. The way he moves and kind of cuts off on some routes and can kind of move his body side to side and kind of get by people is really impressive, and it's really fun to watch, and he's only going to continue getting better and better as he gets more comfortable in this offense. So, I'm looking forward to him, and he has made some great climb the ladder catches. Just keep giving him chances to climb the ladder, and he will come down with it.

Q: You have a pretty good front. How do you feel like the offensive line, you guys did blocking those guys this week?

DM: Yeah, I think they stood in there and tried to take it on the chin. I think the best thing about those guys up front is they never really get the love that they deserve, and I think they really deserved it yesterday, and I think there are some things today, including myself, of getting the ball out and them kind of standing more firm up front today, that we can continue to challenge them, and those guys have a tough job. It's two consecutive days in a row of getting a good front that has got some good players up there that have made a lot of plays in this league. So, they had a tough task, and I think they stood up to it well.

Q: Speaking of Romeo Doubs, I'm curious, what is it like when you see him jump up and again over the defender and kind of bring the ball down? Is that a point of emphasis then that you know you can kind of hit him in those situations and target him?

DM: Oh, it's very comforting seeing that from a receiver. Going up and making a play up top, it's a his ball or nobody is what I'm trying to do, and it has been his ball more times than not.

Q: Drake, when it comes to A.J. [Brown], are you still kind of learning when he is covered, when that means he is open, and when he is covered, when he is not open? Kind of working through—

DM: I think you got to with the details. The details of this offense and what I like to see when I'm coming back side to him or he is front side in the concept. So, just different versions and moving him around, and he has done a great job of learning what to do, where to line up, and there are still ways to go, but I'm looking forward to seeing him in this offense.

Q: How do you process— change the way you approach, in terms of recognizing the ball pressure and also manipulating the pocket?

I think you always have the idea against teams that have a good front, that they may not bring pressure as much, but when they do, they're going to bring it. So, just having a concept of what the defensive likes to do coming into the week, and then from there, knowing where my problem is and trying to find answers.

Q: Drake, two years ago when you guys had joint practices against Philadelphia, it was lopsided. A lot of people came away from it like, "Eagles are elite, and the Patriots have a long way to go." How do you think about that now, two years later, where you are competing against them and the competition is really tight, and you are winning sometimes, they are winning sometimes, which was not the case two years ago?

DM: Yeah, that's what joint practice is about. Two years ago, I was a rookie coming in here. I was watching some of those plays earlier in the week. I was just laughing. I motioned somebody who was coming forward and snapped it, and then there was a penalty, and little things like that, that we were laughing about— just how far we have come. But I think they won a Super Bowl that year. I think that was, what, 2024? Yeah, they won it. So, you can see that they have a great football team, a lot of the same players over there. So, we got to continue to show our identity. I think we definitely improved in regards to 2024, that's for sure. So, we have some ways to go, but I'm proud of the guys' effort.

Q: How did you get to talk to Jalen Hurts while he was here, and if so, what were those conversations like?

DM: Yeah, I just literally caught him on the way out as he was leaving the field. I'm a big fan of his game. I'm rooting for him. I told him back when I was committed to Alabama back in the day, he was one of the quarterbacks I was watching play there, and then he ended up going to Oklahoma. But yeah, he's a Super Bowl champ, that speaks for itself. So, I had one of my best friends, Sam Howell, was in the room with him last year, so I got to know some stories about Jalen and how he works, and I respect him a lot for that. I'm pulling for him.

Q: Drake, when it comes to Gonzo [Christian Gonzalez], Sauce Gardner, now Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, how much confidence does that give you heading into the season that you can go up against any level of cornerback?

DM: Yeah, I mean, I like our guys. It's pretty simple. I like our guys, and I'm always going to like our guys better than theirs. So, I think we have a chance to do a lot of things in the passing game, and we got to find ways to get different guys the ball, and we have done that throughout camp, so we got to keep on building on that. But, I think there are a lot of great defensive players in this league, and we have some good ones on our side.

Q: Drake, do you have any say in how much you get to play in these preseason games, and how much do you feel like you take away from your appearances in preseason games?

DM: No, I think you take it back to looking at my Eagles preseason game my rookie year. There's some great things that you learn, and you learn about being in the huddle, and kind of the operation, and being in a stadium with the play clock and little things like that. Obviously, coming into my third year, I got a lot of that, kind of understand what it's like. I'm just here with the guys and trying to get better. Whatever they think with the preseason, I'm here to play and ready to go out, and whatever they think, I'm here for them and here for this team.

Q: How would you describe your mindset this year when it comes to scrambling? Is it different than last year? Is it just when needed? How would you describe how you are going to approach that this year?

DM: The biggest thing is trying to remain a passer as long as I can. Trying to remain a passer and kind of move to throw instead of always tucking it early and doing some things. But there are a lot of great quarterbacks in this league that are really effective outside the pocket and doing some great things on pump faking and little things like that. So, I think I need to focus on trying to execute the passing game plays first, and when the pocket breaks down or when I feel like I can go make a play, just to kind of do what I have been doing, and it's just kind of play ball and be natural. But, I think that is the biggest thing. Really, other than that, these guys— I think practicing scrambles really is a different deal, and you got to have some reps of that. So, I will continue to work on it and just know that when you get the ball out on time, that is always better.