Patriots’ Drake Maye Wants To Do Less Of This During Second Season

Drake Maye identified a specific area he hopes will lead to improvement in 2025.

The New England Patriots quarterback doesn’t want to abandon passing plays to run as often this season, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

“Remaining a passer longer when I scramble, I think that’s big,” Maye said. “I feel like I had times last year where I had some guys deep that I may have missed them or took off running instead.”

Reiss cited a training-camp play where Maye accomplished that goal. During Saturday’s practice, he scrambled to his right but kept looking downfield to throw a 60-yard touchdown to wide receiver DeMario Douglas.

Maye tallied 421 rushing yards last season, the ninth-most among quarterbacks. He ran for a season-high 95 yards during a Week 9 overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans and scored two touchdowns on the ground.

Fantasy football investors may not like Maye’s 2025 plan, but Patriots supporters shouldn’t mind if the 22-year-old progresses in the pocket.

Maye completed 66.6 percent of his passes during his rookie campaign. The No. 3 overall pick didn’t produce many explosive plays, averaging a tame 6.7 yards per pass attempt while never reaching 300 passing yards in a game.

New England ascertained some receiving help for Maye by signing Stefon Diggs and drafting Kyle Williams in the third round. Rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson could also become a valuable safety valve to target on extended plays, and first-round offensive tackle Will Campbell will hopefully give Maye more time to search for an open man.

Maye’s mobility isn’t a skill the Patriots should entirely waste. While Maye would rather keep plays alive to pass, Josh McDaniels could dial up some designed runs for his young quarterback.