Drake Maye has the arm, the athleticism and the build of an NFL quarterback. But when it comes to getting New England Patriots teammates to rally around him, it’s his smile that gets them working harder.
As the team heads into the bye week, guard Layden Robinson told reporters that Maye’s confidence and energy around the locker room has become infectious as he’s grown during the season.
“You see him walking around, you him just having fun – and that Drake smile, you know how it is,“ Robinson said. ”You just see him walking around. He always has that confidence about him.”
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Since taking over the starting quarterback job in Week 6, the Patriots have operated with more of a spark on offense. Much of that has to do with Maye’s talent and penchant for creating “wow” plays.
But behind the scenes, Maye has served as a driving force for his teammates to get better. When they see the future of the franchise coming in and giving it his all, what option is there but to do the same?
“Just his competitive nature. Him wanting to get out there and just be the best person he can. He always makes sure that he’s on it, no matter what,” Robinson said.
“You see that positive energy from a guy like that every day, you have no choice but to come to work and be the best version of yourself – because you’ve got to match it,” Robinson added.
Robinson, a fourth-round pick out of Texas A&M, was back in the starting lineup this week. after bumping over to left guard.
With Maye running the show, New England had one of its most productive offensive performances of the season, going over 200 yards both rushing and passing.
From a distance, fans can see the way Maye performs once the ball is snapped. But what’s the rookie quarterback like behind the scenes — and in the huddle?
That “Drake Maye smile” is there. But don’t let that fool you. There’s a fire behind it.
“It’s like a fun competitive nature out there, you know? It’s not like, super all smiles. Just like, ‘Man, let’s have fun. Let’s come out here and let’s play, and let’s do our assignment to the best of our ability,‘“ Robinson said. ”That’s the type of energy you want to have in that huddle. Nice, relaxed and poised and, ‘Hey, we’re gonna make it happen.’”
