Drake Maye: “Happy Thanksgiving and It’s a Great Time to Be Thankful.” | Patriots Press Conference

Drake Maye: “Happy Thanksgiving and It’s a Great Time to Be Thankful.” | Patriots Press Conference

It’s Thanksgiving, man. Want to talk to me? Come on now. Come on. Happy Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving, guys. Shoot. Um, I’m thankful for a lot of things. Thankful to um shoot, you know, play this game, you know, play this game. Thankful for the people that that are in my life. Um, thankful for shoot. Thankful for the fan base. Thankful for uh you guys. Shoot. Appreciate you guys. Uh thank for the good Lord. Shoot. Thank uh I think that’s the one of the biggest things in my life. Um having, you know, a purpose and um you know, something to wake up for and be thankful for every day, you know, to be uh you wake up and be healthy and um like I said, play this game and play with these guys, these teammates. And um it’s been fun. So we got some some more left, but you know, happy Thanksgiving and it’s a it’s a great time to to be thankful. Drake, how would you describe the process of adjusting to the heightened spotlight for you like as a person? I don’t know if you get recognized more, if you can sense like the increased attention, but how do you describe navigating like that element of playing quarterback? Yeah, I think just I’m continue to be myself. You know, I’m not going to change. Um I hope I won’t and if if I do, hopefully people in my life will tell me. Um but yeah, I think just just um try to find a way to handle it safely. I think that’s the biggest thing just to protect my family and people around me. But other than that, um, you know, have fun with fans and, uh, take pictures and smile and, um, I think just continue to, um, try to be out in the community and, um, you know, be around and, um, you not really change what I’m going to do and just realize that, you know, there’s a lot of people’s lives I can, you know, affect and, um, whether I’m going to dinner or doing something, I’m not going to try to hide and and not be out. So, um, that’s kind of my mindset. I know that you and Will are very close off the field. Seeing something like that, what you went through on Sunday on a personal level, how does that impact? Yeah. Um, man, it’s tough. I think you just for someone who works so hard and um is playing at a high level and at such a young age. Um, I think it’s it’s uh you just just heartbroken for him. you know, I know he’s he’ll be back and um you know, I know he’s gonna you’ll work hard to get back, but just someone who who’s who’s out there and and uh is having fun out there and and uh he’s uh yeah, he’s become one of my best friends and he’s he’s awesome to to play with and um I think it’s cool when um you can get close with a guy that’s you know at such a young age. You know, me and him know each other whenever he got drafted the first time he came up here that’s that’s the only time. So, um I think from that just um got a long uh he’s he’s gonna play a long time and I think he’s uh like I said he’s going to make his way back. He’s just you know fun to be around and he’s still been around so it’s been awesome. Drake, is there an art to the quarterback sneak and is that something you’d like to get better at going forward considering some trouble down by the goal line? Yeah, I got to do I gotta find a way to get in. I think that’s the biggest thing. I don’t say there’s art. I think there’s a mentality. And I think that’s probably the biggest thing that I got to, you know, flip the switch or um I don’t know, do some smelling sauce in there or do something. Um I think try to get in in the end zone in the one. I should have snapped it before probably I held it probably this the cadence a little long to let him kind of adjust, but I think it’s mentality. I think I’ve been successful sometimes this year on QB sneaks. Um did them a lot in college from the one yard line. So, just got to find a way to um you know, my biggest thing is, you know, you hold on to the football and try to get the arc. I’m curious if you saw comments from Brian Burns saying that you’re almost too pois in the pocket sometimes. Uh did you happen to see those? I did not. I did not. He was basically saying that by what he meant by that is that sometimes you’re so focused on the read that you aren’t cognizant of pass rushers coming. Um I’m just kind of curious for your thoughts on that or any reaction. Yeah. Um, sure. You know, I really I’m not 100% with what that really means. You know, I try to try to keep my eyes on the field with feeling the pressure. I think that’s part of playing the position. So, um, you know, just trying to make the right play and um I know he’s a great player and he’s had a great year. So, just uh try to have a a feel aggressive um where he’s at and and uh I know he’s he’s made a lot of plays. So, just keep on doing you know what I’m doing of uh you trying to you avoid those guys and and hit our guys downfield. you know, you are taking you’ve taken less sacks the last three weeks. Is that something that you’ve been working on specifically? Yeah, I think it’s just, you know, stopped taking the one and two yard sacks. You know, some of them been run out of bounds and um I think just trying to throw it in the dirt one time or just trying to, you know, be uh should have took none last game. I uh screwed up um you on the play that they got me, the DB got me. So, um that’s that’s some uh you know, it’s been a focus of mine. And like I said, those guys do a great job up front and just try to reward them with with uh good numbers that you you guys, you know, are so crazy and think tell the whole story. How dangerous are the Giants edge rushers? Man, they’re good. They’re they’re good up front. Um you all all five of them, all six of them that get in there and play, seven, they they rotate them in and um they’re good inside, too. They got some good players that uh that make plays. You know, Big Dexter’s done it for a long time in there. Um he’s from you about an hour away from my hometown. So um we got good players in North Carolina and um you know he’s a good one and um Burns and um you know Carter the young kid he’s explosive on the edge and um I think they do a good job of sending those guys and helped to try to get home and you know they’re good on third down. So one more. Do you have to adjust it at all uh with having several new linemen up front or is it just proceed as usual with your It’s what practice is for just get a um you know really for them to get a you know really feel of where I’m at back there. I think those you know um you know Vo and um you know Marx has been in there with me and and Ben Brown and those guys have all played with me and um I’ve played sometimes. So just them getting, you know, some reps of, you know, where I’m at, where I like to be at, you know, kind of just some extra. But I don’t think it’s it’s kind of next minute up and that’s the mentality in that room. How comfortable are you with them? Yeah, I think very comfortable. Like I said, I told, you know, Ben uh Ben and uh VO, we got a lot of reps last year of of throwing the football and dropping back. So they got a lot of reps for for them to um you home back on. And um I think it’s a little different this year with kind of where we’re at as a as a team where we’re at right now. and um you know trying to stay we’re in we’re in a lot closer games and not down where we have to you know drop back and and try to catch up. So um it’s different mindset but those guys do a great job. You know I got full trust in those guys and um for them stepping up and I got to do my part of of uh following the plan and we’ll have a plan and um you know but I said I think they came in and did a nice job um really really in that room. They’ve done a nice job all year whoever’s been in there. Um after the interception you kept going back to Hunter and it paid off the last game. How does that reflect to having a short memory mindset and how do you uh get your get your teammates to the same? Yeah, I think it’s huge. I think it’s huge having a you know short short-term memory and knowing Hunter’s a great player. I’m not going to stop throwing the ball at Hunter um just because I missed him uh high on one. So, um it was a deal that, you know, I knew that um we were going to bounce back and uh I think a lot of guys are are looking to you and looking to me when when something goes wrong and um coach does a great job reminding me that and knowing that the best thing I can do is go down and and score on the next one. That’s what we did. So, that’s uh that’s going to happen in this league and um I try to avoid them as best as I can. Um but know that um bouncing back is is uh is important. Drake, when it comes to some of the the blitzes, you mentioned the slot blitz last week, like is that just more film study? Like how what goes into like kind of preparing for the pre- snap stuff in in that regard? Yeah, you know, the uh you know, he was looking at me like he was about to come in the in the clip. So, I sort of just uh done a better job of protecting you know using um some calls and um getting going. But I don’t think it’s film study. I think it’s just uh you know me just doing little things before the snap and not getting tired of just because they haven’t brought one that game just you know doesn’t mean they can’t. So just not getting tired of doing the little things and um knowing that um you know it’s not going to be the same, you know, you know, not going to bring them and you haven’t brought them that game and I’m just uh just know that you these defenses are good and they mix it up and you know if we get up in the game they’re more likely to bring more guys and different blitzes. So uh just being better and um just not being you know falling asleep basically. Did your family question. Did your family fly in? What are your plans tomorrow? Uh no they they’ll go home. You know I’m sure I’ll miss them. uh you know, one-on- ones in the backyard or or doing something with my brothers, they’ll all be there. But uh they were in Cincinnati and came, so I’m sure someone will come on Monday night, but uh no, those uh yeah, I’m missing some uh some basketball or football. I want to want something. So, thank you guys.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye addresses the media on Wednesday, November 26, 2025.

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