With training camp set to start at the end of the month, we’ll provide a position-by-position breakdown of where the Patriots stand. We start with the quarterbacks.
Roll call: Drake Maye, Joshua Dobbs, Ben Wooldridge.
By the numbers:
2: Since 1950, Maye and Dan Marino are the only quarterbacks with at least 500 combined passing yards and at least five touchdown passes in their first two NFL starts. Maye threw for 243 yards and three touchdowns in his first start, vs. Houston on Oct. 13, 2024, and 276 yards and two touchdowns the following week against Jacksonville.
7.8: Maye finished last season with 54 rushes for 421 yards — a 7.8-yard average, the sixth-highest in a season by a quarterback with at least 50 attempts.
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8: The number of NFL teams Dobbs has suited up for (Steelers, Jaguars, Browns, Lions, Titans, Cardinals, Vikings, and 49ers).
11.8: The time, in seconds, from snap to throw of Maye’s most dramatic pass last year, a tying touchdown to Rhamondre Stevenson at the end of regulation against the Titans.
52: The number of sacks taken by Patriots quarterbacks in 2024. Only the Bears, Browns, Texans, and Seahawks had more.
The skinny: Maye’s occasional penchant for forcing throws that ended as giveaways aside, last year was mostly a season of growth. He took over for Jacoby Brissett in mid-October, won two of his first five starts, and generally provided some of the more memorable moments of the season, including a dramatic touchdown against Tennessee to force overtime. Maye made 12 starts, finishing with a 67 percent completion rate, 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a 3-9 record.
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To be fair, some of those turnovers were the result of him running for his life or trying to deliver the ball to receivers who struggled to consistently get separation. The Patriots were lacking complementary talent in the skill positions and offensive line. To try and remedy those issues, they added pieces around Maye, including free agent wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins, running back TreVeyon Henderson, and offensive linemen Will Campbell and Morgan Moses.
Regardless of who’s around Maye heading into 2025, it’s clear the expectations have been ratcheted up from both a performance and leadership perspective. Last spring, Maye was sitting behind Brissett, biding his time until his number was called. This spring? At the end of spring workouts that were open to the media, as the team lined up on the goal line to run sprints, Maye was the one counting out the cadence.
The goal? For the young quarterback to take ownership of the roster.
“You want high expectations,” Maye said this spring. “The Patriots are used to winning, and that’s what we’re trying to get back to. I think you want people to expect you to play well. I think that pressure is what fuels you to be out here, what fuels you to get the rep right in practice. It’s what fuels you to work hard in the meetings, the weight room, [and] not have what happened last year happen again.”
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While the rest of the roster will have to do its part, the NFL remains a quarterback-driven league. The continued evolution of Maye is vital if this team is to be taken seriously. If he can take that next step, the Patriots could end up sniffing .500. If not, the ripple effects will be felt.
How does this position rate against the rest of the league? Good. While it remains to be seen how Maye will progress under the tutelage of new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, he certainly showed enough last year to warrant consideration as a better-than-average quarterback.
Quote of note: “I think it’s an opportunity for me to take a jump. I think from last year being a rookie, trying to come in here and earn my stripes, earn my keep through hard work. I think this year is the same approach. You’ve got new guys in here, new staff. [I’ve] got to keep on getting to know everybody, show my work ethic. From there, as the season comes around, try to take the next step in leadership and leading the offense — and hopefully leading this football team.”
— Maye, on June 9
Biggest story lines: Can Maye thrive under Mike Vrabel and McDaniels and become a true franchise quarterback? Can he avoid the big hits he took at times as a rookie? Is Dobbs a better option at backup than the rocket-armed Joe Milton?
Christopher Price can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @cpriceglobe.