When Mike Vrabel took over as head coach of the New England Patriots, one of his first major moves was bringing back a familiar face: longtime offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. At the time, it looked like a smart way to stabilize the offense. Now, it might just be the decision that launched second-year quarterback Drake Maye into MVP territory.
McDaniels recently joined The Schrager Hour podcast and shared a moment from training camp that stuck with him - one that hinted Maye might be more than just a promising young quarterback.
Drake Maye’s “wow” moment in camp
“There was one in training camp where there was a broken play, and he scrambled to his right,” McDaniels recalled. “He was literally almost out of bounds.
He was a couple feet from the sideline. He threw it, and it had to be like 60 yards.
[Demario Douglas is] running down the sideline, and I’m like, ‘There’s no way he can get the ball to this guy, right?’ [Douglas] scores, and the place goes nuts.
I kind of looked around like, ‘Did anybody else see that? That was nuts.’”
That kind of arm talent doesn’t just raise eyebrows - it changes expectations. Coaches don’t forget throws like that. And neither do teammates.
From slow start to MVP frontrunner
Maye didn’t set the league on fire out of the gate. He dropped two of his first three starts under McDaniels.
But since then, the Patriots have rattled off 10 straight wins, and Maye has been at the center of it all. He’s not just managing games - he’s elevating the offense.
Through 13 games, Maye has thrown for 3,412 yards with 23 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He ranks second in the league in both passer rating (111.9) and passing yards, and his 72.2 adjusted QBR is good for third among qualified quarterbacks. Those are elite numbers, full stop - especially for a 23-year-old in his second season.
More than just arm talent
McDaniels emphasized that Maye’s success isn’t only about physical gifts, though those are obvious. “He’s been blessed with his physical ability and tools, but I don’t want that to take away from all the other things that he does to really put himself in position to be a really, really great player,” McDaniels said. “And he’s a special guy, and we’re lucky to have the opportunity to work with him.”
That’s a telling quote. Coaches see the work behind the scenes - the film study, the leadership, the resilience. And when a coach like McDaniels, who’s worked with some of the best to ever do it, calls a guy “special,” it carries weight.
Eyes on the MVP and the division
As of Thursday, Maye had climbed to second in the MVP odds at +200, trailing only Matthew Stafford of the Rams. That’s not just hype - it’s a reflection of how impactful he’s been during the Patriots’ surge.
New England, now sitting at 11-2, has a chance to clinch the AFC East this Sunday with a win over the 9-4 Buffalo Bills. Despite the streak and the momentum, the Patriots enter the matchup as 1.5-point underdogs.
But given how Maye is playing - and how much belief this team clearly has in their young quarterback - it’s hard to count them out of anything right now.
If that training camp throw was the first sign of something special, the rest of the league is now seeing it in real time. Drake Maye isn’t just the future in New England - he might already be the present.