The New England Patriots have their franchise quarterback in Drake Maye, and heading into his second season in the NFL, a lot of pressure is on Maye's shoulders. But amid that pressure, Maye has been striving to be the best he can be, and that competitive nature is rubbing off on other players.
Patriots veteran wide receiver Kendrick Bourne was being interviewed by Patriots reporters, and he provided an interesting story from practice on how Maye affects the team.
In a post from Tom Carrol of WEEI on Twitter/X, Bourne talked about a moment at practice that stood out to him regarding Maye and his competitiveness.
"We were doing some drills, and we were just competing, pushing sleds, and he was very competitive. Looking at each other side-to-side, and we compete and who pushes longer. It was just dope to hear that from him, like, 'Yeah, we gettin' ya'll!' That competitive spirit it creates competition, it creates us to be better. We want to beat each other in a race, or whatever it is, conditioning, things like that. He just competes, and you love to see that from your quarterback."
Bourne is an. eight-year veteran, and heading into his age-30 season. Despite his veteran status, he's finding inspiration and competitive drive from the second-year player in Maye.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) warms up before the start of the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Gillette Stadium.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) warms up before the start of the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Gillette Stadium.
David Butler II-Imagn Images
The competition internally is a great indicator of positive development. There is a phrase, 'iron sharpens iron,' and it's used in conjunction when a good offense goes against a good defense in practice every day.
For the Patriots, Maye's competitive nature is helping the rest of the team be competitive. Having a leader, especially one as young as Maye, lead the charge in being competitive, is a great sign for the Patriots.
Bourne's comments on Maye's competitive nature is not only a good look at the Patriots practices, but at the team dynamic within the building. Having competition across position groups, where everyone is striving to be better, is a recipe for success.
Whether it's the introduction of Mike Vrabel, or the maturation of Maye, the dynamic during Patriots practices is a positive sign of things to come for an ascending team.