Drake Maye went 14-3 and finished MVP runner-up. Year two is when it gets harder.
The Patriots' quarterback enters his second season with Josh McDaniels having already cracked the code on the system. The question is what he does when defenses crack it back.
Drake Maye's 2025 season: 72 percent completion rate, 31 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 14-3 regular-season record, MVP runner-up. He got sacked six times in the Super Bowl LX loss to Seattle. Year two in a system is supposed to be the leap. It's also when defenses have a full offseason to plan for you.
What actually changed between year one and the Super Bowl?
Veteran backup Brian Hoyer, who has played in McDaniels' system before, noted that 'the growth from last May to the Super Bowl was really remarkable.' The year-one task for any quarterback in a complex system is mechanical - learn the calls, learn the protections, execute the play design. Maye did that well enough to lead the NFL in completion percentage. The Super Bowl showed what elite defenses do when they've studied a full season of film on a quarterback they haven't seen before.
What does year two actually mean in this system?
Tight end Hunter Henry put it plainly: 'Year 2 in the system is big because this system demands a lot on the quarterback position.' The specific upgrade isn't reps - it's understanding. Hoyer explained that when a quarterback learns the 'why' behind each play call, rather than just the mechanics, decision speed increases. Maye already corrected a protection scheme mid-game against the Giants after a tough week against Cincinnati, which is exactly the processing the staff wants to see accelerate.
What are the metrics worth watching?
Maye led the NFL in completion percentage in 2025. If he leads it again in 2026, he joins Joe Montana, Kurt Warner, and Drew Brees as the only quarterbacks to do it in consecutive seasons. That's a tight group. On a more practical level, the areas to watch are decision speed against loaded boxes, completion percentage on third-and-medium where the system asks him to cycle through three reads, and his record against teams with top-10 defenses.
What does New England need from him that it didn't in year one?
The regular season record was 14-3, which masked some of the underlying difficulty. Maye's athleticism will be a 'bigger weapon' in year two, according to his coaches, specifically because the mental load of the system is now lighter. When a quarterback isn't burning processing time on the basics, he can use his legs as a genuine threat rather than just an emergency option. The Super Bowl sack total also puts a specific emphasis on getting the ball out faster against pressure packages the defense designed specifically for him.
Players in this story
Sources
- ESPN: Will Pats QB Drake Maye improve in second year with McDaniels?
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