Drake Maye-Josh McDaniels Relationship Should Be Even Better for Patriots in Year 2

FOXBORO --- Drake Maye is not Tom Brady. Not even close.

But the current New England Patriots quarterback has the same offensive coordinator, and that's good enough.

For Maye, Josh McDaniels was a match made in heaven last season. Sure, Maye showed flashes of why he was the third overall pick as a rookie under Alex Van Pelt. The debacle that was 2024 was somewhat salvaged with Maye's play under center.

The Patriots bringing in McDaniels for his third tour of duty just elevated everything -- including the play of their young quarterback. The immediate return? A division crown and a trip to the Super Bowl.

Now the goal is to improve on last year's 17-win season. New England's plan this summer? To add an element of true speed and tempo to the offense. The Patriots had some of it last season, but it's been a major point of emphasis all summer.

Drake Maye Is Picking Up Tempo Offense In '26

"I think Coach McDaniels is one of the best to learn it from because he’s the one that was teaching it out there and calling it," Maye said after Wednesday's training camp practice on working with tempo. "So, the best thing is knowing what to do before you snap it, not snapping into a bad look or just playing fast for no reason. I think coach is great about making sure we’re in a good play.

"I think that’s one of the things you notice from watching some of the tempo, is making sure we have a good play and stay on track because you don’t want to snap it fast and have it be incomplete or a negative run," said Maye. "You want to keep the chains moving, keep it going, and keep the defense tired and on their heels. So that’s the biggest thing I noticed, is just keeping the chains moving."

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels with quarterback Drake Maye (10) against the Seattle Seahawks during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Maye's sophomore year resulted in 4,394 passing yards and 31 passing touchdowns. A lot of that came on the quarterback pushing the ball down the field and forcing the defense on their heels. Now when you imagine an improved Maye -- one who almost won the MVP award and the Lombardi Trophy -- getting back to the line and getting another play in fast, this Patriots offense could sky rocket to another level.

Could Maye Be Better Than Last Season?

Of course, a lot of that will be based around how Maye's receivers perform. Last year, Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte were the primary targets in a passing offense that really entered the year as a bit of an unknown.

In 2026, the Patriots went out and added A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs to be Maye's top two targets. That's a much better duo at the top of the depth chart than 2025.

Everything on paper reads that Maye and McDaniels are going to have another fantastic season, especially when you consider how accurate Maye has been to open up camp this summer. He's looked poised with the ball in his hands. He's been more vocal as a leader under center. He's controlling when the protections change.

That wasn't happening a year ago. Now that Maye's relationship with his offensive coordinator has begun to bloom, it's time for the Patriots to start watering that flower every single day.

"I think it’s great to have Coach McDaniels, who knows this offense at the best of the best," Maye said. "I think one of the coolest things is when I have questions or when I feel like there are problems, he always has a clip to explain why those are the answers or a reasoning behind it. I think that’s really cool for me, who is inquisitive and loves to ask questions and understand why we do things. To have someone who always has answers, knows what could come up before it comes up – that’s one of the best things for me.

"So, just hearing the same terminology, the same coaching points over and over again, being able to hit them and know them before I come out here on the practice field is great for me. I’m looking forward to seeing what we do in year two."

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