What have Patriots coaches told Drake Maye about sliding?

New England Patriots

“He’s a competitive guy. I think certainly making sure he’s available to the team is a priority.”

The Patriots have one of the top young QBs in the game in Drake Maye.

But the 23-year-old signal-caller has made it a habit of striking fear in the hearts of Patriots fans when it comes to his knack for exposing himself to injury while scrambling for extra yardage.

After running into a few bone-crunching hits during his rookie year, Maye had another injury scare on Sunday against the Titans — briefly spending time in the blue medical tent after his helmet hit the turf hard while scrambling for six yards. 

Even though Maye only missed a few plays while undergoing a concussion test, it further reinforced the need for the young QB to protect himself — or risk New England’s season completely imploding if he has to spend a significant amount of time on the shelf. 

While the Patriots don’t want to discourage Maye from using his legs when needed to avoid pressure, extend plays, and burn opposing defenses, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels acknowledged on Thursday that the team has had conversations with the second-year pro about choosing his battles while running with the ball.

“Certainly, we addressed what we think the right thing to do is,” McDaniels said. “He’s a competitive guy. I think certainly making sure he’s available to the team is a priority. He’s got to balance doing the things that help us make really good plays in those situations because he’s an athletic guy who’s going to make some things happen when he runs versus making sure he protects himself in the end.

“Certainly, he’s seen them, too. It’s about making a good decision in the moment each time we do it. Really, that’s a good way for the quarterback to put the team first in that situation, just remind yourself, ‘if I’m not out here, I can’t really help us win.’ We’ll address it, but I think he knows.”

Maye has been candid about how his scrambling ability remains a key part of his game — and it’s been a difference-maker for New England’s offense this season.

But if the Patriots want to both stack wins this season and continue to assert themselves as a rising power in the AFC for years to come, Maye will have to learn that fighting for a few extra yards on any given play isn’t worth the risk of a major injury.

“There’s always [an] emphasis on sliding for me. They’ve said it since the beginning of the year,” Maye said Wednesday. “From last year, taking hits and knowing being out there for the next play is most important. 

“Credit to [backup QB Josua] Dobbs, maybe the play of the day. He came in here, evaded a sack, and threw a dime. So, it was good to see that from the blue tent. I was looking through the little top of the blue tent and saw it. But other than that, no, sliding and knowing when to get down, and also knowing whether it’s a third down or near the end zone.”

 

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.