A 4-13 squad in 2024, the Patriots didn’t stand out as a team other organizations wanted to emulate last season, except for a few young building blocks. One of such building blocks was Drake Maye. Looking sure to be a star with his elite arm strength and athleticism, the former UNC Tarheel racked up 17 total touchdowns last year while starting 12 games, 11 if excluding the final game against Buffalo (he attempted one pass).
While he may not have had the rookie season Jayden Daniels had, he did more than enough to prove he has all the potential to have a breakout 2025. While an ascension on the field is widely expected, he is also looking to ascend as a leader in the locker room.
Drake Maye on what it would mean to be named Patriots captain:
“I think it's a great honor. I think it's something that don't take lightly around here,
“There’s a lot of guys on this team that deserve that and have played a long time in this league.”
-@CLNSMedia #Patriots #NFL pic.twitter.com/fHyIn9PVDw
— Patriots on CLNS (@PatriotsCLNS) August 13, 2025
Drake Maye seems like an obvious captain candidate for the Patriots this season
The Patriots had a huge exodus of captains this offseason. Of the six that started the season with the “C” on their jerseys, five of them are no longer rostered. The one who was the Captain, Jabrill Peppers, had his captaincy revoked midseason amid legal issues and was replaced by Kyle Dugger.
Whether one or both of the safeties return to the role, the Patriots will still select at least two offensive players to represent the squad.
Veterans like Morgan Moses or Hunter Henry (who replaced David Andrews following his injury in '24) will certainly be in contention for the roles, but Maye should be candidate No. 1A in my eyes.
In 2023 with UNC, he was the offensive captain, and I’d expect exactly that in 2025 in Foxborough. For an ascending young quarterback, I’d argue that if he isn’t granted captaincy, it would be a major red flag. He’s the nucleus of the offense and will be the No. 1 contributor to offensive success this year.
We’ll have to wait until the final 53 is released to see who the captains are, and most importantly, if Maye is on the list. At the moment, I’d strongly suspect he and either Moses, Henry, or Stefon Diggs will claim the other role. I’m confident the organization will select Maye, and this decision will reveal a lot about his character, which we already know was strong.
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