Drake Maye didn’t wait for the conversation to come to him after the Patriots and Eagles finished their second straight day of joint practices. He made sure to track down Jalen Hurts on the way off the field.
That moment says plenty about where Maye’s head is right now. The Patriots quarterback has admired Hurts from a distance for years, dating back to the time when Maye had originally committed to Alabama in 2019 before changing course to North Carolina. Hurts had already graduated that same year and later moved on to Oklahoma for his final season of college eligibility.
On Thursday, Maye made it clear he has followed Hurts’ path closely.
“I just caught him on the way out as he was leaving the field,” Maye said. “I’m a big fan of his game.
Rooting for him. I told him back when I was committed to Alabama, back in the day, he was some of the quarterbacks that I was watching play there.
And then he ended up going to Oklahoma. But he’s a Super Bowl champ.
That speaks for itself. One of my best friends, Sam Howell, was in the room with him last year.
So I got to know some stories about Jalen and how he works. I respect him a lot for that.
I’m pulling for him.”
What stands out most to Maye is the same thing that has defined Hurts’ rise: the work. That’s the thread that connects the two quarterbacks, even if they’re at different points in their careers.
Maye still doesn’t turn 24 until the end of this month, but the way he talks about the position already sounds polished and deliberate. He’s getting sharper at saying the right thing, and he’s also showing that he understands what separates good quarterbacks from great ones.
For Patriots fans, that’s an encouraging sign. The franchise spent two decades watching Tom Brady chase perfection, and Maye seems wired with a similar kind of edge. Last year’s Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks was probably the roughest game of his football life, and the way he has shown up in camp - especially across these two practices against Philadelphia - looks like the kind of answer fans wanted to see.
Hurts may not be in the Patriots’ building, but he could still serve as a useful model for Maye. He’s one of only four quarterbacks in NFL history to lose his first Super Bowl appearance and later come back to win one. John Elway, Bob Griese, and Len Dawson are the others.
Maye, fresh off an All-Pro season and still early in what should be a long career, has every chance to add his name to that group someday.
He also appears to understand something that still sparks debate around Hurts across the league: the value of what can’t always be measured. One AFC executive told ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler this offseason, “I'm still betting on the Super Bowl credentials, the intangibles, and the toughness."
Those are the traits Maye seems drawn to, too. And with his own emphasis on sharpening the mental side of his game, there’s still plenty of room for his trajectory to keep climbing in Year 3.
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Patriots Fans Got An Encouraging Will Campbell Sign In Eagles Camp
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Campbells path is still being measured through the summer, with the Patriots continuing to evaluate where he fits and what kind of role he can handle. Coming back from a knee injury only adds another layer to that process, but the early signs have been positive enough to keep him squarely in the conversation. The real read, though, will come once the games start for real and the progress has to show up under season pressure. [Read more 🡒]