FOXBORO, Mass. — Mike Vrabel has a plan for Drake Maye. For a young quarterback coming off a promising rookie season, it’s less about specific footwork and less about reads, handling or mechanics. At least not yet.
Now officially the head coach of the New England Patriots, Vrabel has experienced enough quarterbacks to know what success looks and should look like at the position. And that’s where he thinks he can help the 22-year-old Maye the most.
“Drake is going to be his own man, but I’m going to give him some of the things that I think we need to win football games,” Vrabel said during his introductory press conference Monday.
What remains unsaid during the glamor of Vrabel’s big day is the cementing of his presence next to Maye. I believe the Patriots have the most important pairing in professional sports – a coach and a quarterback – for years to come, even if they have plenty of other issues to resolve. That hasn’t happened since at least Mac Jones’ rookie season in 2021 (along with Bill Belichick), and probably since Tom Brady had a locker at Gillette Stadium.
In a league comprised solely of head coaches and quarterbacks, it’s okay for the Patriots’ to-do list to be long and difficult. Nothing matters until you have it right Coach and quarterback. Now the Patriots feel they have both.
deeper
Mike Vrabel isn’t selling Patriots glory. He’s defensive about it.
There’s a long way to go before Vrabel and Maye can do this the way the Patriots envision, but it’s also fair to note that there aren’t too many other coach-quarterback pairs that would take over from Vrabel and Maye. Next 5 years. That’s not to anoint them the second coming of Belichick and Brady. But this is one reason why, amidst so many other problems, there is so much optimism in New England right now.
“Surround him with good people,” Vrabel said of his plans for Maye. “I would say he will be involved in terms of game management and situational awareness and what we are trying to do to develop him into a leader of the offense on the football field. When the quarterback calls a play, it’s tempting to make it sound like everyone believes he’s going to score a touchdown. It’s like an emphasis on how everything will work, for example.”
Mike Vrabel in development @DrakeMaye2 And the Patriots offense. pic.twitter.com/k3gisgBG97
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 13, 2025
It may sound harsh considering how bad the Patriots have been over the last few years and the state of their roster, but there aren’t many combinations more promising than Vrabel and Maye over the next five years. The Chiefs, Bengals, Bills, Ravens, Chargers, and 49ers have solid arguments for being the better pairing. However, the Patriots could be in the next tier along with the Texans, Eagles, and Lions.
Perhaps one of the duo’s slights is that Vrabel’s passing attack with the Titans never put up flashy numbers. During their 11-win season in 2020, they ranked 23rd in passing yards. The following year, he won 12 times and ranked 25th. But doing so ignores efficiency. During those two years, the passing rate ranked 3rd and 6th.
For his part, Vrabel tried to allay concerns that he has always been offense first, which doesn’t seem ideal for a promising young quarterback.
“We need to be a very efficient passing football team,” Vrabel said. “If you look statistically at what wins in the National Football League, the ability to influence the opposing team’s quarterback and provide an efficient quarterback and passing game are huge contributors to success.”
Of course, Maye’s development will largely depend on who Vrabel chooses as offensive coordinator.
Vrabel said no decision has been made yet and the Patriots will conduct a full search to fill their coaching staff.
deeper
New Patriots coach Mike Vrabel will select offensive and defensive coordinators.
“It hasn’t been solidified yet,” he said. “We want to put the best, (most) talented coaches in front of the players. … I want the players to embrace what every coach teaches. As long as I am the head coach here, our coaches will have three simple duties. It sounds simple, but it’s probably not as simple as we’d like. “They want to teach, they want to develop, they want to connect and inspire their players.”
Celebrating in front of numerous microphones and cameras, Vrabel appeared to have all the right details and answers for the three tasks for his assistant coaches.
On day one, he brought stability and respect to a franchise that desperately needed it. And in the process, he’s now paired with Maye to give the Patriots confidence at two of the most important spots when it comes to making an NFL team.
(Photo: Eric Canha and Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images)
