Josh Allen isn’t piling on Drake Maye.
With the Patriots quarterback under the microscope after a rocky start to the season, the Bills star offered a simple vote of confidence Wednesday when asked about Maye’s struggles.
“Drake’s a smart kid,” Allen said, per Alex Brasky of the Alex Brasky: Unfiltered Bills-related Substack. “Extremely talented. He's gonna figure it out.”
That message landed on a day when Maye was already dealing with plenty of noise. A rumor surfaced Wednesday suggesting he and Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel were not on the best of terms, adding another layer to a situation that has already been messy for New England. Both Vrabel and Maye later tried to quiet that talk as the Patriots prepared for Sunday’s matchup with the rival Bills.
Allen had more praise ready when the subject came up again.
“He's got the work ethic,” Allen added about Maye. “I got a lot of respect for him and what he's been able to do early in his career. He'll find a way out of it.”
Maye’s season has been rough. Through the first three weeks, he committed a league-worst seven turnovers. ESPN stats listed him Thursday at 25th among 30 qualified passers with a 45.9 adjusted QBR.
The early struggles have also sparked questions about whether a lingering throwing shoulder injury is part of the problem. Maye has danced around that topic before, but on Wednesday he said his shoulder has not affected the way he throws or his “decision-making” in games.
Vrabel and Maye were thrown together after Vrabel took the Patriots job in January 2025, soon after Maye finished his rookie season. The pair helped New England beat Buffalo in Week 5 of the 2025 season, though Allen and the Bills later responded with a road win over the Patriots in December.
This time, Buffalo enters Sunday at 3-0 and as a 6.5-point home favorite over the 1-2 Patriots, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. If New England gets routed at Highmark Stadium, the questions around Vrabel and Maye figure to get even louder.
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Reggie Gilliam, Mack Hollins, DaQuan Jones, Mitch Wishnowsky and Greg Van Roten have all spent time with the Bills, and each brings a different layer of familiarity to the matchup. Van Roten is on injured reserve and wont be available, but the presence of so many former Bills in a Patriots uniform adds another wrinkle to a game Buffalo already views as must-watch. In the AFC East, the margins are usually thin enough without all the added history. [Read more 🡒]