Expectations surrounding Drake Maye and the Patriots are slightly higher than they were a year ago. Then again, that’s not that difficult given New England is coming off a 4-13 season that did see Maye show considerable flashes despite a poor supporting cast surrounding him.

That narrative will undoubtedly be different in 2025, with the Patriots’ roster reconstructed around Maye and a new coaching staff headlined by Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels. But with great expectations comes great weight, and a considerable amount could undoubtedly be on the shoulders of the second-year quarterback.

It’s up to Maye to deliver on the promises that he’ll be a turbocharged quarterback in 2025. There is no in-between. He’ll either grow or regress, and given what’s around Maye in terms of talent, it’ll be an utter disappointment if he takes a step backwards.

Drake Maye needs to prove expectations right for Patriots to succeed

To put it simply, there’s no excuse for Maye this season. There may be some minor growing pains in the early part of the season as the Patriots, who are projected to have 10 or 11 new starters this season, develop chemistry.

When discussing “confidence meters” for the quarterbacks of the 2024 draft class, Bleacher Report’s Damian Parson gave Maye a seven out of 10. Only Caleb Williams, Bo Nix, and Jayden Daniels received higher grades than those of the other players.

That’s a fair spot for Maye to be in coming into this season. All the pieces are in place for Maye to take steps forward this season, particularly with an improved offensive line, as six of Maye’s 10 interceptions in 2024 came when he was under pressure. Having a top-tier wide receiver in Stefon Diggs certainly won’t hurt either.

Will there be a slight amount of pressure on Maye to exceed the expectations? Yes. But should he put pressure on himself? No. The Patriots should have a championship-level defense. Maye has playmakers around him on offense. He simply has to keep growing, limit mistakes, and let guys like Diggs, TreVeyon Henderson, and DeMario Douglas make plays.

A second-year regression would be a big-time disappointment for Maye, especially given what the Patriots have done to construct a winning roster around him. It’s ultimately up to Maye to prove the doubters wrong, and the only way to do so is by performing on the field.