The Patriots fans haven’t had this kind of hope since those Tom Brady days. One reason: Drake Maye. At just 22, he’s being handed the keys to a franchise still trying to figure out who it is without Tom Brady. He’s the face of a rebuild, the heartbeat of a fanbase desperate for something to believe in again. But this is a kid in his second year. We have now reached the point where we need to ask ourselves: Is the pressure getting too much?

Weeks after Andrew Callahan dropped his expectations for Drake Maye this season (expecting him to replicate what Josh Allen did in his second year), these Josh Allen comparisons seem to have taken on some real ground. Adam Jones and Rich Keefe have just issued Maye a deadline for his breakthrough, and let’s just say…it’s a little unfair.

On a recent podcast, Rich Keefe was quick to draw a parallel with Josh Allen’s career trajectory. “Josh Allen didn’t really break through until his third year. So even Drake Maye, in this year, doesn’t have to put those kind of numbers. The year one to two jump should be one of the biggest that you can have. So I think comparison with Josh Allen is fair.” Are they fair, really?

Let’s unpack. Josh Allen didn’t light the league on fire out of the gate. His rookie and sophomore years were solid, not spectacular: just over 2,000 yards as a rookie, then 3,089 and 20 TDs in Year 2. But it wasn’t until Year 3 that everything clicked—4,544 yards, 37 touchdowns. That’s an MVP-caliber leap. Maye, on the other hand? He got his feet wet last season.

13 games, 11 starts, 2,658 yards, 66.6% completion rate, 16 touchdowns, and yeah, 13 interceptions. This leaves room for growth, no doubt. But almost all positives. So, yes. More yards and touchdowns than Josh Allen in his rookie season. He did so without a proper WR. Demario Douglas led all wideouts with just 621 yards, and the team’s leading receiver was a tight end who didn’t even crack 700.

And now with Stefon Diggs? Everything points towards Maye’s numbers rising this season. But Josh Allen? He’s arguably the best QB in the league now. And career trajectories? They are never linear. Maye has all the potential in the world to be an MVP-level QB, but just let him breathe. Let him grow on his own. Throwing out comparisons every time he plays a snap would just slow everything down. Let him do his own thing.

As for the Patriots, the O-line looks better with Will Campbell. The WR group got a major boost with Stefon Diggs. But there is still something that is giving the front office a headache.

Henderson standoff threatens to disrupt Maye’s offensive rhythm

As if Drake Maye didn’t already have enough on his plate heading into Year 2, now the Patriots have a brand-new headache to deal with. And it’s arriving right before the training camp. Rookie running back Trey Henderson, their second-round pick at No. 38 overall, still hasn’t signed his deal. Why? It’s all about guaranteed money.

And yeah, it might not sound like a big deal yet, but Henderson was supposed to be a key piece of the offense. Now he’s in a standoff before even putting on the pads. Not exactly the smooth ramp-up Mike Vrabel was expecting, is it?

Rookies ink their deals fast these days. But the 2025 second-rounders? Not really. It’s a weird twist: 30 of 32 are still unsigned, thanks to a growing push for fully guaranteed contracts. And that’s where things get tricky for the Patriots and Trey Henderson. And as for Maye, Trey was supposed to take a lot of pressure off him. A guy who could spark the run game and give Maye an easy safety valve in the passing attack.

You don’t draft someone at 38 overall to just sit around and wait. And with a brand-new system under Josh McDaniels, every missed rep matters. If this stretches into camp? It’s just unnecessary drama that the Patriots cannot afford.

This isn’t just some random rookie holding out for no reason. Second-round picks around the league are all pushing for bigger guarantees, and honestly? Can you blame them? Last year’s 38th pick got 83% of his deal guaranteed. So yeah, it’s fair that he wants more. But the Pats? They haven’t blinked. Not yet, at least.

With Diggs still rehabbing that ACL and likely starting camp on the sidelines, things are getting real for Drake Maye. Now throw in Trey Henderson’s contract drama, and Maye might be opening camp without two of the biggest weapons he was supposed to have at his side. So, that pressure? It’s only skyrocketing.