Drake Maye opens up about relationship with Patriots rookie Will Campbell
After taking his lumps as a rookie, Drake Maye has found incredible success with fast friend Will Campbell as the Patriots' left tackle.
After taking his lumps on one of the worst teams in football in 2024, everything's coming up aces for Drake Maye in New England during his second professional season with the Patriots.
Taking the field in a new offense led by Josh McDaniels under the expert guidance of head coach Mike Vrabel, Maye has been able to work magic behind his new-look offensive line, leading the NFL in passing yards and completion percentage through 11 games.
Discussing what it's like to become fast friends with rookie left tackle Will Campbell both on and off the field, Maye told the crew at WEEI Afternoons how their shared journey from college to the pros has helped them prepare for a whirlwind season in Foxborough.
“Big Country, he’s been awesome. I’m proud of the way he’s kinda handled it. I think we were in similar situations — top pick, leaving college early, and coming up here on our own from the South. It’s been cool for us to share this similar journey and share some of my experiences with him,” Maye said via Carlos A. Lopez.
“Will is just coming to work and coming to practice every day. He’s one of our best practice players, and it shows up in the games. It’s fun kinda sharing our accents. I think his is a lot stronger than mine, so it’s fun to hear that. I think that’s the best thing about it, just like I said, sharing some similar experiences, and sharing what I learned from last year, and knowing what a long season it was compared to college. It’s also cool being young and both of us kinda living the same kinda life.”
Coming out of college, some openly wondered if Campbell could hold up at left tackle, with more than a few talent evaluators openly suggesting a move to guard due to his suboptimal arm length. Instead, Campbell has been one of the top rookie tackles in football, ranking just behind Armand Membou in PFF rating. If he continues to play up to these standards, not only will Maye remain in the MVP conversation, but the Patriots will likely continue to succeed down the stretch.
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase’s One-Game Suspension Upheld
According to Michael Signora, the NFL has upheld Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase‘s one-game suspension for spitting on Steelers DB Jalen Ramsey in Week 11.
The incident sparked a commotion in Sunday’s game, where Ramsey threw a punch that got him ejected. Ramsey later said Chase spat on him, which provoked him. Chase denied it, but video from the game showed he was lying.
The NFL has put an extra emphasis on sportsmanship this year, ejecting Eagles DT Jalen Carter for spitting in Week 1 and treating that as a de facto suspension by fining him a game check as well.
He will now miss Cincinnati’s game against the Patriots in Week 12. A suspension costs Chase a game check worth $448,333 and a $58,824 active roster bonus.
Chase, 25, was a two-year starter at LSU and a unanimous All-American during his sophomore season. He opted out of the 2020 college football season due to the pandemic. The Bengals took Chase with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
He was in the fourth year of a four-year, $30,819,642 contract with the Bengals that included a $19,774,285 signing bonus when the Bengals picked up a fifth-year option worth $21.816 million fully guaranteed for the 2025 season.
The Bengals and Chase then agreed to a massive, four-year, $160 million contract extension.
In 2025, Chase has appeared in 10 games for the Bengals and caught 79 passes on 117 targets for 861 yards and five touchdowns.
