New England Patriots fans got to meet their new quarterback Friday at Gillette Stadium as Drake Maye was formally introduced to his new home.
"Glad to come to an organization that knows how to win, has done it before," Maye said on the field Foxborough. "Ready [to] get that back on track."
Maye was selected with the No. 3 pick of the Draft, and plans to keep the No. 10 jersey he's been wearing since high school. The Kraft family is hoping the University of North Carolina quarterback will be the new face of the franchise under new head coach Jerod Mayo, after the team moved on from its last No. 10, Mac Jones, another quarterback drafted in the first round.
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
Maye had nothing but good things to say about the team, Mayo, the Krafts and the rest of the Patriots organization. Asked whether he thought he should start from Game 1 of the 2025 season, he said only that he wanted to "fit in with the group, fit in with the quarterback room" and was "ready to take on anything."
He was eager to show off his three older brothers, whom he brought with him to the news conference along with his girlfriend, who he's been dating since seventh grade.
"This is my squad," he said. "If you're getting me, you're getting them."
NBC Sports Boston Patriots insider Phil Perry gave the pick an "A," saying Maye is aggressive and has creative playmaking abilities.
So, just who is Drake Maye?
- He was a sophomore quarterback at the University of North Carolina
- He's 21 years old
- Last season he had more than 4,000 total yards and 33 touchdowns
- He was the 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year
- The highest Patriots draft pick since Drew Bledsoe in 1993
"Tom Brady is the goat. It's easy to say that. He's the best that's ever played this game. I'm not gonna say I'm Tom Brady. I'm just going to be Drake Maye and from there, I'm just going to learn from him and hopefully get to know him a bit. And other than that, I'm gonna learn all I can from him. He's the man in that town," Maye said Thursday.
At Foxborough, he reflected a bit on the experience of being drafted in the first round and getting to come to his new home stadium: "last night was awesome but this day is almost trumping it."
