{"id":861343,"date":"2026-04-08T18:03:21","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T18:03:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/861343\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T18:03:21","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T18:03:21","slug":"rob-gronkowski-on-the-major-change-drake-maye-needs-to-make","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/861343\/","title":{"rendered":"Rob Gronkowski on the Major Change Drake Maye Needs to Make"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"Drake\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

New England Patriots legend Rob Gronkowski shared that he thinks the major change that Drake Maye needs to make to his game is finding a way to address his fumbles.<\/p>\n

It was a remarkable second NFL season for Drake Maye<\/a>. The New England Patriots<\/a> quarterback took a massive step forward, finished second in MVP voting, and even helped lead the team to the Super Bowl. That doesn\u2019t mean there isn\u2019t plenty of room for improvement, though.<\/p>\n

Patriots legend Rob Gronkowski took notice of what Maye was able to do in his second season. While speaking to Covers.com\u2018s DJ Siddiqi<\/a>, he made sure to take the time to praise him for that improvement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen his deep ball is there, his deep ball is really there,\u201d Gronkowski said. \u201cYou saw it on display throughout the whole season. What I really loved about him and his improvement from Year 1 to Year 2 was that he learned how to read a defense. He learned how to check it down in the situations when the situation is presented, not to force your ball, but check it down and take five yards or six yards per play, instead of forcing it in there.<\/p>\n

That isn\u2019t to say everything was perfect for Maye. There\u2019s still plenty of room to improve, particularly as it relates to fumbling, which Gronkowski also touched on.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I would say to protect the ball. He had the ball on the ground a lot. He had a lot of fumbles. So you gotta protect that ball, because turnovers hurt your team big time.\u201d<\/p>\n

How Big of an Issue Were Fumbles for Drake Maye?\"Drake<\/p>\n

GettyNew England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye recovering a fumble.<\/p>\n

It seemed as though there was a concerted effort from Drake Maye to improve his touchdown-to-interception ratio. He did that too, going from 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a rookie to 31 touchdowns and 8 interceptions a season ago.<\/p>\n

Fumbles, however, remained a major concern. In the regular season, Maye would fumble the ball 8 times. In the playoffs, that number jumped up to 7 fumbles. That includes a costly scoop-and-score that effectively ended any comeback hopes in the Super Bowl.<\/p>\n

Even when the Patriots are able to recover the ball, it completely upends a drive to get strip-sacked, killing momentum and putting the offense behind the sticks. When the offense doesn\u2019t recover, it\u2019s worse, giving opponents short fields.<\/p>\n

Addressing the cause of those fumbles can be tricky. Part of it is going to come from better blocking and keeping Maye from taking as many hits. For his own sake, that also means getting the ball out faster and avoiding the rush while in the pocket with his footwork. Maye also needs to be stronger physically, holding onto the ball when he takes contact.<\/p>\n

A strength for Maye has been his athleticism. In 2025, he rushed for 450 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Patriots don\u2019t want him to lose that part of his game, but he\u2019ll have to manage it without losing control of the ball.<\/p>\n

Julian Edelman on Year Three Expectations for Drake Maye\"Drake<\/p>\n

GettyNew England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye<\/p>\n

Another Patriots legend, Julian Edelman, recently shared<\/a> his own thoughts on Drake Maye entering his third NFL season. Similarly, he would like to see Maye adjust to an underperforming offensive line better. Part of that is getting the ball out and avoiding turnovers.<\/p>\n

\u201cYear three, I want to see how he deals with the offensive line when they are not performing at their best,\u201d Edelman\u00a0said<\/a>. \u201cThere\u2019s going to be times where you can\u2019t get them blocked, but we still got to produce. And I think that\u2019s going to be the natural progression in his progression.\u201d<\/p>\n

Edelman would go on to add that being under the same offensive coordinator for a second season in a row is going to be a major help. So, if he can take that knowledge and apply it, then the Patriots offense has the opportunity to be even better in 2026.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tDan Morrison<\/a> After graduating from UMass in 2019, Dan Morrison quickly began a career in sports journalism and digital media. That has seen him work both as a contributing writer at several publications, as well as spending time on the National News Desk at On3. During that time, he has spent the majority of his time covering football, both at the college and NFL levels. Currently residing in Central Florida, his focus with Heavy is on the NFL. More about Dan Morrison<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Patriots\n\t\t<\/p>\n

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