QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE

PRESS CONFERENCE
January 21, 2026

Q: Have you ever thrown a ball at altitude, and if not, has anyone given you any tips of what to expect?

DM: No, I haven't thrown at altitude before. I've never really been to Colorado or to a place with altitude that I've thrown a football at, but I think there is some adjustment to it. Feeling it out in warmups, seeing what a deep ball is like or what the altitude does. I think the biggest thing, for us, just kind of fatigue-wise, I think we'll try to get a feel for it in warmups. I know it's a little different, but I know a lot of teams play out there all the time. So, we'll have an adjustment. Just for me, just feeling out warmups, maybe throw a few extra deep ones, see how it is. I think it'll be pretty cool. Get a few extra yards on a deep ball, you can always use that.

Q: Have you ever used a silent count before, and if so, what are some of the unique challenges of using a silent count?

DM: Yeah, I use a silent count every road game. Really, I think every road game this season we've used it. I think the loudness of the stadium for this week will be different than what we've heard, just because of the AFC Championship at a road opponent that has had history of winning Super Bowls and playing in playoff games and has a great team. So, the magnitude of the noise will probably be something we haven't seen this year yet, but a silent count is something we've been working all year. We've been in Buffalo and Baltimore using silent counts where it's tough to hear in the huddle and tough for the O-line to hear me. So, we just go in the silent and we've done a good job.

Q: You guys have had a lot of success on the road this season, but do you enjoy playing on the road?

DM: I think playing on the road is – one of the coolest things is coming off the field at their place, with screaming fans, and coming out with a win. I think it's pretty cool to celebrate and celebrating in an away locker room that's different. Coach [Mike Vrabel] has always been saying, 'Road warriors.' So, we're trying to find that one more time and finish out strong what we've done this year. We've got a tough job and a tough challenge, but I think the guys will be pumped up and ready for it.

Q: People from high school days, college days now, everyone describes you as a nice guy until a score is being kept. Do you feel like you flip a switch when it comes to competition? How would you describe that dichotomy?

DM: Yeah, I try not to flip a switch. I think any time that the score is being kept, you want to win. I've tried to keep that same mentality my whole life. That's from my older brothers, to playing my wife in something, to playing out here, playing football. I think you want to win. If anybody's keeping score, no matter if it matters or not, I think winning's more fun. So, that's my mentality. I try to bring that to this team, and I think the team feels the same way.

Q: What do you and Ann Michael [Maye] play?

DM: Shoot, it could be board games. She started playing mahjong; I haven't got into that, but something like that. Playing battleship, cards, or anything that goes on for me playing her. We picked up tennis a little bit in the offseason. I try to take it easy on the shoulder a little bit, but she's picked up tennis. She'll try anything we can compete in, and she's a great athlete.

Q: I'm curious, what was your reaction to seeing the Kayshon Boutte one-handed catch when, obviously, you're on the field. You say you've got the best seat in the house, but I'm sure you couldn't fully see that one-handed. When you watched it back, what was your reaction?

DM: What a catch. What a catch. Time and time again, he's made big-time catches, and he deserves more chances. I'm looking forward to playing with him every time I go out there. He's made some great catches on some deep balls and some intermediate routes. I went over to the sideline, and I always ask them if they catch it. They always say yes, whether they catch it or not, but it was pretty cool to see that. I think whoever had a different shot of it in the snow, with him making a one-handed catch, it may have been NFL Films or somebody, but it was a sweet catch and a big time play for us.

Q: Drake, ball security, obviously, very important. Last couple of weeks, there have been some fumbles from you, unfortunately, from your perspective. What have you done in terms of soul searching to prevent that from happening in such an important game on Sunday? What have you done to work on that and make sure it doesn't happen?

DM: Yeah, I think just work on it in practice. Be mindful back there and just know that my job is to protect the football, and that's every game. I think one of the biggest things with the guys up front is it's my job to have a timer in my head, and those guys have done a great job all year. So, I haven't lost trust in those guys up front, and I know that we faced some pretty good edge rushers in the past couple weeks. I know we've got another good set of edge rushers coming up this week. So just know, have a feel for it and just protect football because that's my job.

Q: Drake, you've worked with Ashton Grant this season, the quarterbacks coach. What have you learned from him? How has he helped you develop in what's been a great season for you so far?

DM: Yeah, Ashton's been awesome. He's been awesome for me just because the offense I came from last year, he was running it in Cleveland. So, we've had a cool experience translating the offense into what we started with, trying to get the old terminology out and get the new Coach [Josh] McDaniels terminology in. He's been great. He's been great earlier in the week, kind of giving us an intro. The quarterbacks sit in there with him, and he gives us an intro. We watch some stuff on tape that helps me a lot. He's just good about staying positive. He's in the box during the game, comes down at halftime, always has something good to say, always something positive to say, and he's fun. He's funny. He's one of my number-one hype mans, and I appreciate that about him. He's always in a good mood, and he keeps it real. I think that's the biggest thing I appreciate. He tells me when I need to do something that I need to work on, and he pumps me up a lot, which I appreciate.

Q: You guys have done a great job this year, treating every game like it's just another game. However, this one isn't. Have you allowed yourself to think about the stakes, and what's at stake Sunday?

DM: Yeah, the stakes for the past two weeks have been win or go home. So, it's just another playoff game that we get a chance to go on the road in an environment that's hostile and a great football team that's got great coaches, great defense, great players. It's just another challenge for us to finish what we started. I don't think we want to stop here, and we want to keep going.

Q: Coach has really stressed having fun out there. We saw you tossing the ball around in the field in the snow with, maybe it was your brother, your wife posing for pictures. What was that moment like, and does that help relieve the stress as you're in the playoffs?

DM: Yeah, I think just enjoying it. My wife has gotten on me because a bunch of other people have gone onto the field after the games, and we haven't yet. I was like, 'Alright, the last one, we'll go out there.' So, it was pretty cool with the snow and just time to enjoy a win with people I love.

Q: You guys have really weathered the highs and the lows of playoff football in the last two weeks. What do you attribute that emotional maturity to, from a group that really, largely, didn't have a lot of postseason experience coming in? What do you think enables you guys to do that, and how do you translate it over to playoffs on the road?

DM: I think coaching helps. I think Coach Vrabel playing in big-time playoff games, winning Super Bowls. Coach McDaniels, same thing. Just having coaches that know what it's like can prepare us for it and just trust in what we've done all season. Coach always talks about, 'Don't change the recipe now.' I think having little tweaks and stuff here and there is fine, but at the end of the day, being who we are, building this identity, going to show it and bringing it on the road.

Q: Josh coached there. Is there any kind of insight that he can give you, or has he given you this week about how to operate there? He's coached, obviously, AFC Championship games here. What kind of insight has he given you this week?

DM: No, I think just being even better with my operation. I think from last week, I can improve on my operation of getting out of the huddle, getting guys in the right spot, just moving with a sense of urgency. That starts with me being under center, having good operation, getting out of the huddle fast and getting the guys snapping the ball when we're ready to go. I think he's been in a lot of big-time games, especially on the road, in his years. So, he just says, 'Just be even more intentional with the little things on the road.' Obviously, he played there in the altitude and everything like that, but I think more of the noise factor, he's just – we're working on the silent cadence and just trying to do what we need to do to come out with a win.

Q: Of all the high-blitz defenses you've faced this year, how difficult is it to identify pre-snap where they're going to come, relative to other teams that play the way they do?

DM: Yeah, I think they do a good job. They do a good job bringing different guys out of base, out of sub, out of different things. So, we've got to be firing all cylinders with protection. In the run game, they do a good job of getting TFLs and getting after the quarterback in the passing game. So, it's already a tough enough job with the edge guys, the guys up front and the D-line that they have. So, just knowing if they heat us up, just knowing where these guys are coming from and have an idea that depending on how the game's going, they could heat us up more or heat us up less and just kind of take it from there.

Q: One of the reasons you guys have been as productive as you've been offensively this year is you've been really aggressive down the field. Do you have to change that approach at all, going against a really good pass rush unit again this weekend?

DM: No, I don't think you're trying to change it. I think last week, you change it, and Kayshon doesn't make the play. So little things like that, just knowing the time and place for it. I think trying to get the ball out of my hand, just being cognizant of the edge rushers and taking care of the football is the number-one thing. So, if we have time and have a look down field, you know me, I'm going to take a look and take a shot.

Q: Greg Olsen was talking about the debate in youth sports of specialization versus multi-sport athletes, and he used you as an example. I was wondering just how playing basketball, you think, helped your athletic development in football?

DM: Yeah, I played all three, played baseball as well growing up, and just loved – whatever season it was, it was my favorite sport. I think I got that from my brothers. All three played them all, and just having a chance to go from season to season, finishing football season in high school, going straight to the basketball court, just playing with my high school friends and playing competitive sports. I think basketball was one of my favorites and just having the ball in your hand, making decisions with space, seeing defenders. Making split-second decisions, I think, is kind of the biggest thing in basketball. You make split-second decisions, and that's my job as a quarterback. You make really fast decisions. You've got to see the defense and decide if you want to pass, shoot, drive, whatever you want. From there, I think just playing different sports and positions – playing baseball helps different stuff with my position in arm angles, seeing defenders, throwing it this certain distance and distance like that. So, I loved playing sports growing up, all three. Specializing, I think that's become more and more of a common thing now, and whether it's right or wrong, it kind of works for different people. But I know, Lord-willing, if I have some kids, they'll be playing a bunch of sports. So, I look forward to that.