Why Patriots Legends Loved Drake Maye Speaking Up In Meetings

The New England Patriots appear to have their quarterback of the future in Drake Maye. That goes beyond just his production on the field.

Maye recently addressed the offense with the support of offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt after pinpointing the unit’s struggles in practice. The Patriots got the job done the following game with a 19-3 win over the Chicago Bears.

Maye remains encouraging as a vocal leader on the sidelines and began taking his offensive linemen out for dinner. He’s showing the intangibles the Patriots hoped for and a pair of New England Super Bowl champions praised that growth during FOX’s pregame coverage Sunday.

“I love Drake Maye,” Rob Gronkowski said. “I love everything about him. … Just that aura around him. He’s a complete leader. To have that skill (to speak up) at 22 years old. … His leadership grows as his play on the field grows.”

“He earned the ability (to speak up) with his play the last few weeks,” Julian Edelman said. “He came in and he’s been productive. He’s improved each and every week. There’s a big difference between a quarterback calling a players only meeting when he’s been playing like dog crap. This kid’s been fighting his butt off. He’s got a good attitude. I think it’s granted.”

The Patriots quarterback takes his next challenge Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, the team Gronkowski and Edelman defeated in their final Super Bowl for New England.