Josh McDaniels Reveals Secret To Drake Maye’s Success With Patriots

The New England Patriots authored a stunning turnaround in 2025, as they posted a 14-3 record that earned them the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoff picture. A big reason for the team’s success has been the play of second-year quarterback Drake Maye, and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels believes there’s a key secret to his success.

In his first full season as a starter, Maye has put together an MVP-caliber campaign, throwing for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns, while also rushing for 450 yards and another four scores. Maye has carved up opposing defenses on a regular basis, leaving the rest of the league worried about what he could be capable of in future years.

There are a lot of different things that go into being a top-tier quarterback in the NFL, and Maye has made it look very easy to this point. If you ask McDaniels, one of the more overlooked aspects of Maye’s success is his ability to build strong relationships with his teammates.

“He has a great relationship with, I think, every player on the team honestly,” McDaniels said on Thursday. “I think he just had this knack about him. He’s a really good person who can create a relationship with basically anybody.”

In the same way first-year head coach Mike Vrabel has found a way to get the Patriots to buy into his program, Maye has managed to establish himself as a leader in the locker room. Maye’s humble demeanor has endeared him not just to New England, but to the rest of the league, too.

And yet, while Maye enjoyed a fantastic season, it won’t mean much if the Pats can’t go out and win in the playoffs. Maye will look to prove he can deliver when the lights are at their brightest in the team’s wild-card playoff matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night.