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New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said the opportunity to coach quarterback Drake Maye was a deciding factor in his return to the franchise.
Vrabel, 50, who played linebacker for the Patriots from 2001 to 2008, was hired by New England this past offseason and said he saw the potential in greatness in Maye, 23, even before accepting the job.
“I probably realized that before I got here,” Vrabel said of Maye’s potential via the New York Post. “That’s a large part of the reason that I wanted to be here. Everybody has a different skill set, and he’s comfortable in the pocket, [but] his ability to transfer up into the pocket to make moves, to make throws off platform and different angles, has been impressive.”
Maye has already seen a quick development in his first season under Vrabel and second since being selected No. 3 overall by the Patriots in the 2024 NFL Draft. The former North Carolina standout is a finalist for the 2025 Associated Press NFL MVP award, having thrown for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions on 354 of 492 passing (72% completions), while leading the Patriots to a 14-3 record, their first AFC East Division title since 2019 and their first Super Bowl appearance in seven years.
New England will face the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX on February, which will be a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX, which saw the Patriots defeat the Seahawks, 28-24, in 2015.