Former Patriots Quarterback Reveals Sky-High Expectations For Drake Maye
While their season didn’t end how they wanted it to, it was still a highly encouraging year for the New England Patriots and their young quarterback, Drake Maye.
In just his second NFL season, Maye finished runner-up in the NFL MVP race and became the second-youngest quarterback ever to start a Super Bowl. After showing promise as a rookie, the 23-year-old took a massive leap in his sophomore campaign.
Despite Maye’s postseason struggles, expectations will be sky-high for him going forward. The bar has been raised, and many Patriots fans are now expecting him to be the next Tom Brady.
That includes ex-New England quarterback and Brady’s former teammate Brian Hoyer, who revealed his massive expectations for Maye during his appearance on WEEI on Tuesday.
“I expect him to be, year in and year out, a candidate for the MVP. I expect him, year in and year out, to push this team to be contenders, not only in the AFC East, but in the entire AFC Conference,” Hoyer said. “The sky is the limit. I think you’re looking at a guy who’s gonna be considered a top-five quarterback for the next 10 to 12 years.”
In other words, Hoyer’s expecting Maye to be a Hall of Famer and follow in Brady’s footsteps. It’s a best-case scenario, but it’s also realistic.
That’s a lot of pressure on a kid with only 33 NFL starts under his belt, including the playoffs. However, Maye has the potential to reach those heights, especially as he improves with experience, gets more comfortable in Josh McDaniels’ offense and hopefully gets better weapons around him.
After reaching an elite level at such a young age, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Maye stay there for at least another decade if he stays healthy. But for now, all he can control is what he does this offseason to come back stronger and better next season.