I gave an honest assessment of Drake Maye a few weeks ago (September 8th). I think it's time to re-evaluate the young quarterback. As of November 2025, Drake Maye has cemented his status as the New England Patriots' franchise quarterback, exhibiting significant growth and MVP-level production in his second season. After a turnover-prone rookie year in 2024, he has developed into a highly efficient and accurate passer while maintaining his elite athleticism as a runner. However, that's not the full story. That's where the mainstream analysis would have me stop.
2025 Season Statistics (as of Nov. 10)
Passing Yards: 2,555
Passing Touchdowns: 19
Passing Interceptions: 5
Completion Percentage: 71.6%
Quarterback Rating: 113.9
Rushing Yards: 283
Rushing Touchdowns: 2
Fumbles: 6
Pros
As a passer, Maye has demonstrated elite passing ability, ranking among the league leaders in passing yards, touchdowns, and passer rating in 2025. He has significantly improved his deep-ball accuracy, posting a league-leading completion percentage on throws of 20+ yards. This season, he has also shown elite performance on third downs, ranking third in the NFL in passer rating.
As a runner, he possesses a dual-threat skill set with excellent athleticism, quickness, and speed. He is an explosive improviser and scrambler, with the ability to escape pressure and extend plays. The Patriots' new offensive scheme under Josh McDaniels is also utilizing his rushing ability with more designed runs in 2025.
Growth potential remains high. Observers note his immense growth from his rookie year, with his flashes of brilliance now becoming a more consistent reality. His continued development could see him reach All-Pro caliber.
The supporting cast has improved dramatically. The addition of a new offensive coordinator, improved offensive line, and new weapons like Stefon Diggs and Kyle Williams have contributed to his success.
Cons
Turnover issues persist. While his 2025 interception total is lower than his rookie season, Maye still has six fumbles through 10 games, continuing to raise concerns about ball security.
Decision-making remains inconsistent. The turnovers highlight lapses in judgment and a lingering tendency to play hero ball, particularly when extending plays. As in his rookie season, he can still make ill-advised deep throws under pressure.
Pocket presence, while improved, still needs refinement. His processing under pressure still needs to get steadier, as indicated by his occasional poor ball security when forced off his spot.
Consistency is an ongoing concern. His inexperience still shows up at times, and he occasionally lapses into sloppy mechanics, resulting in inaccurate throws.
Decision-Making: Then and Now
Drake Maye's decision-making has seen a marked improvement in 2025, but it remains an area for refinement.
Rookie year 2024 saw pronounced struggles with decision-making, leading to 16 total turnovers: 10 interceptions and 6 lost fumbles in 12 starts. A notable example was a game-ending interception in overtime against the Titans.
Second season 2025 shows progress. He has reduced his interception total to 5 through 10 games, demonstrating better field vision and anticipation. However, his 6 fumbles this season indicate that ball security issues under pressure persist. Some of these are from holding onto the ball too long, which he still needs to address.
What's Changed
Interceptions have dropped significantly. From 10 in his rookie year, he's now on pace for approximately 6-7 this season. He's cutting the most catastrophic errors.
Completion percentage has jumped to 71.6 percent. In Week 1 alone, I noted 8 accuracy issues. That problem has largely been solved.
Deep ball accuracy now leads the league. On throws of 20-plus yards, Maye ranks first in completion percentage. My draft profile flagged inconsistent accuracy and sailing sideline throws as major concerns.
Third down performance ranks third in the NFL in passer rating. This addresses the pre-draft concern about making adjustments after the snap.
Volume and production are legitimate top-tier numbers. Through 10 games, 2,555 yards and 19 touchdowns represent genuine franchise quarterback production.
What Hasn't Changed
Fumbles remain a persistent problem. He lost 7 of 11 fumbles in college. Now he has 6 fumbles through 10 games in 2025, still on pace for 9-10 this season. The ball security issue has not been resolved.
Hero ball decision-making continues. My draft profile warned about risk-taking, forcing throws, and unnecessarily putting the ball in harm's way. In Week 1, I observed him throwing to tight or covered targets too often. The November 2025 scouting report still notes lapses in judgment and a tendency to play hero ball when extending plays.
Holding the ball too long was flagged in the draft profile. The 6 fumbles suggest it's still happening under pressure.
Inconsistent mechanics persist. The draft profile noted inconsistent throwing mechanics and stances. The November 2025 report states he occasionally lapses into sloppy mechanics, resulting in inaccurate throws.
Processing under pressure still needs work. This remains consistent with draft concerns about poor throws under pressure.
Bottom Line: What's the Story?
The passing results have improved dramatically. Fewer picks, better accuracy, elite production. These are real gains that cannot be dismissed.
But the underlying tendencies that concerned me remain present. Ball security, forcing plays, inconsistent technique are still part of his game. He's playing better, but he hasn't fundamentally changed who he is as a quarterback.
Maye is a pocket quarterback who can run, similar to Eli Manning's semi-mobile profile (although some would have me say Josh Allen) rather than a true dual-threat like Michael Vick. The comparison holds because both show stretches of brilliant production mixed with maddening inconsistency. The talent is undeniable. The question is whether the infrastructure around him can continue compensating for the flaws, or whether those flaws will surface in critical moments when it matters most.
For now, the Patriots appear to have their franchise quarterback. Whether they have their championship quarterback remains to be seen. Yes, I admit I have a little bias as I prefer the cerebral Montana, Brady, Pennington pocket quarterback over the circus style of quarterbacks like Mahomes, Vick, or Lamar Jackson. Fundementals as a passer will always be more important than athleticism for a quarterback.
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