A.J. Brown says Drake Maye already understands the finer points of football—checks, hots and blitzes—after connecting for a touchdown in the red zone during Thursday’s Patriots minicamp practice.
FOXBOROUGH — Less than two weeks into his Patriots career, A.J. Brown is already talking about his new quarterback the way teammates do when they’ve seen something they can’t unsee.
On Thursday. the practice ended early after a Drake Maye collision. but the standout moment still came in the red zone scrimmage portion. Brown and Maye connected for a highlight-reel touchdown: Brown put his back between the defender covering him and the ball. turned around. and Maye delivered a well-placed pass.
Brown didn’t just praise the result. He zeroed in on what he believes is underneath it.
“The talent speaks for itself. He can make any throw,” Brown said. “But, I think what’s more impressive to me is that he knows what he’s doing.”
Brown pointed to Maye’s grasp of the details that separate raw ability from consistent execution—recognizing defenses and processing play calls at a fast pace. “To be that young and to understand the defenses and to understand every little check. the hots. the blitzes all those things. so young. so fast. it’s very impressive. ” Brown said.
He went further than scouting reports. Brown said Maye doesn’t keep that knowledge to himself. “I really admire that. He knows what he is talking about. He demands everybody else to know as well. He’s a true leader of men. It’s crazy to see at a young age.”
After that touchdown connection, Brown admitted he was doing some friendly pushing of his own. “I was just bragging on him, talking him up,” Brown said. “I said hey man, you’re like that. He can make any throw. I just want him to be confident. I was kind of pushing him today. I told him ‘I want you to be perfect today’. He was like let’s be perfect.”.
Brown said the message wasn’t only about Maye’s development; it was about raising the bar inside the building. “I was like don’t worry about anybody else just focus on yourself. You’re going to raise that standard and everybody else will follow. Just trying to poke at him a little bit and see how far he’ll go. He’s a great player and I’m excited for the season.”.
For Brown, there’s still work ahead. He said he’s learning the Patriots’ playbook and that it will take time to fully acclimate to playing in Foxborough. But even with that learning curve, his early impression is strong. “It’s hard not to get excited. What a player he is, and just right off the bat, what a great teammate so far,” Brown said. “He was eager to learn. He’s great with the guys in the locker room. and we just look forward to playing with a guy of that caliber. I know he’s been a great player in this league.”.
Brown emphasized that Maye is the kind of player who has produced on big stages, the sort of talent that shows up on highlights the next day. “He’s gone everywhere. He’s been a guy that you see on SportsCenter the next day, making plays and scoring,” Brown said.
And he tied it to a trait he values almost as much as skill—winning experience. “The best thing about him, he’s been a winner. He knows what it’s like to win, and he’s someone in that room that we were looking for,” Brown said. “I think that’s the best thing.”
In a practice where an early collision cut things short, Brown left with the clearest kind of reassurance: not just that Maye can throw, but that Maye is already trying to master the game as the rest of the offense moves around him.
A.J. Brown Drake Maye New England Patriots minicamp quarterback red zone scrimmage touchdown Foxborough