Scouts Struggle to Find Solutions for Drake Maye’s Rookie-Like Struggles

A year ago, the 2024 NFL Draft quarterbacks were the talk of the league. Drake Maye guided the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl and finished as MVP runner‑up. Caleb Williams helped the Chicago Bears capture a division title, while Jayden Daniels came off a surprise NFC Championship Game run with the Washington Commanders.

Just a few weeks into the third year for the six first‑round quarterbacks from the 2024 draft, issues are surfacing. Williams and Daniels are sidelined with injuries, and Michael Penix Jr. has only recently come back from an ACL tear.

The main focus this week has been on Maye and J.J. McCarthy. Maye may be the NFL’s worst starting quarterback through the first three weeks, leaving New England at 0‑2. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings ended the McCarthy experiment, trading him to the New York Giants for a fifth‑round pick.

Why is Maye struggling so much, and can his issues be corrected? What does the Giants’ trade for McCarthy signify? We posed these questions to league insiders, and many voiced concern about both quarterbacks.

Here’s additional insight from our talks with league sources regarding Maye and McCarthy.

Ralph Vacchiano: The New England Patriots face many challenges, but they did not expect Drake Maye to become one of them. Their third‑year quarterback has struggled badly this season, and turning his performance around will be easier said than done — just ask anyone around the league.

“He looks like a rookie, and not a particularly good one,” one AFC scout told me. “If he were anyone else, based on those three games, the [coaching] staff would say, ‘He’s just not ready yet.’

“But how do you say that about a guy who nearly won MVP?”

That is the dilemma the Patriots face as they try to understand what has gone wrong with their 24‑year‑old quarterback, who has thrown six interceptions and only one touchdown this season, lost two fumbles, and never surpassed 208 passing yards in a game. They know he is capable — he led them to the Super Bowl last year and was a single vote shy of winning MVP over Matthew Stafford.

This season, “He looks lost,” another scout remarked.

“His confidence is completely gone, and you can see why,” the scout added. “He’s making comical errors — like real rookie stuff. The ball popping out of his hand, lofting it toward tightly covered receivers with no zip, failing to see coverage and thinking a receiver is open, not stepping up in the pocket to avoid the rush, or stepping into it.

“It seems like every other decision he makes is wrong.”

So what’s the solution? According to one NFL assistant coach, it might be the one thing the Patriots truly cannot afford to do.

“That’s the problem. You can’t bench him, even though he appears to need a few weeks on the bench,” the coach said. “What would you do — pull the guy who took you to the Super Bowl and was the MVP runner‑up just so he can watch Tommy DeVito play? That accomplishes nothing and could erode his confidence further.

“They have to let him play through it. That’s all they can do. The issue is, right now he doesn’t look capable of doing so.”

Talent Evaluator Second-Guesses Patriots

Eric D. Williams: It may feel like a while ago, but New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye finished as MVP runner‑up last season for a reason.

Maye led the NFL in passer rating (112.9), ranked third in passing touchdowns (31) and fourth in passing yards (4,394). He also topped the league in completion percentage (72%) and yards per attempt (8.9).

Yet his 47 sacks during the regular season and New England’s relatively easy schedule hinted at future challenges. He was sacked 21 times and recorded four turnovers in four playoff games.

As Ralph noted, Maye has thrown a league‑high six interceptions with only one touchdown in three games, leaving his 58.6 passer rating as the lowest among qualifying passers this season. One talent evaluator suggested that certain New England offseason moves could be a factor.

“Maye carried this offense last year,” said a senior NFL personnel executive. “He also had Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte. With the A.J. Brown injury, he now lacks any true weapons. That’s another reason I’m wary of trading depth.”

Drake Maye had a strong connection with Stefon Diggs last season, with the receiver logging a team-high 85 catches. (Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

Brown, whom the Patriots acquired for a first‑round pick, is on injured reserve after an ankle injury in Week 1. New England released Diggs, their top receiver in 2025, at the offseason’s outset to create cap space. Kayshon Boutte, who recorded six touchdowns in 14 games last year, was traded near the end of training camp; head coach Mike Vrabel noted he would likely have been a game‑day inactive had he stayed on the roster.

Although the individuals Ralph consulted were uncertain how Maye and the Patriots can climb out of their current slump, another talent evaluator I spoke with proposed a way to return the quarterback to productive play.

“Simplify the offense like last year,” the talent evaluator advised. “Get A.J. Brown healthy. And tell Drake to stop pressing so hard.”

Vacchiano: The Giants’ trade of a fifth‑round pick for quarterback J.J. McCarthy appears to be a desperate move following the season‑ending injury to Jaxson Dart. They hope McCarthy will at least upgrade their current starter, Jameis Winston.

However, many around the league believe that may be asking too much.

“There’s no doubt McCarthy has talent,” said one scout. “He’s probably a good fit for what they’re aiming to do. Yet if the Vikings were willing to trade their former franchise quarterback for a fifth‑round pick, it raises questions about their evaluation. Clubs rarely discard young quarterbacks they selected in the top 10.”

J.J. McCarthy threw more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (11) over 10 starts last season. (Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)

To be fair, McCarthy has dealt with injuries. He missed his entire rookie season due to a knee injury. Last year, after finally earning the starting role, he sat out seven games with an ankle sprain, a concussion, and a fracture in his throwing hand.

At some point, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell lost confidence in McCarthy. Rather than reinstate him for 2026, Minnesota signed free‑agent Kyler Murray—a reclamation project—and added veteran backup Carson Wentz.

“Think about that,” said an NFL assistant. “He couldn’t surpass Murray or Wentz. That’s atypical for a high first‑round pick; it’s more typical of late‑round or practice‑squad players. This reveals what Minnesota thinks of him.

“Perhaps a change of scenery could help. However, O’Connell is skilled at developing quarterbacks; if he couldn’t get anything from McCarthy, it’s doubtful anyone on the Giants will succeed.”

Williams: Two veteran NFL scouts I spoke with didn’t hold back when asked where they rated J.J. McCarthy entering the 2024 NFL draft.

“Third round,” said one

“Fourth round,” said the other

Naturally, McCarthy was among the six quarterbacks selected in the first 12 picks — the fifth chosen by the Minnesota Vikings with the 10th overall selection. He captured a national title at Michigan under Jim Harbaugh, who proclaimed him the best quarterback in the draft. However, Harbaugh also predicted Justin Herbert would become the greatest NFL quarterback ever, so his endorsement should be viewed cautiously.

One scout doubted McCarthy could revive his career with the New York Giants after the Vikings dealt him for a fifth‑round pick.

“If Kevin O’Connell couldn’t replicate his success with Sam Darnold and Joshua Dobbs filling in for Kirk Cousins — and it appears he’ll do the same with Kyler Murray — then I doubt Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy can,” said the longtime NFL scout. “Matt doesn’t possess the résumé that Kevin has — no disrespect intended.”

Jameis Winston is the Giants’ current starting QB after Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending knee injury. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Another NFL quarterback evaluator expressed optimism about a McCarthy turnaround, noting that John Harbaugh — the Giants’ head coach and older brother of Jim Harbaugh — should have deep insight into McCarthy from his Michigan days.

“Along with that, McCarthy will face lower expectations as the backup to Jameis Winston, while Jaxon Dart remains viewed as the Giants’ quarterback of the future.

“A fresh start with individuals who selected him is a positive development,” said the talent evaluator. “The Harbaugh connection helps as well, and I believe Matt Nagy knows what he’s doing.

“It reminds me of when guys like Mac Jones, Sam Darnold or Baker Mayfield go somewhere to back up and hopefully become a starter somewhere else someday.”

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