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CJ Stroud tells the Patriots what advice he would give Drake Maye

CJ Stroud tells the Patriots what advice he would give Drake Maye

Patriots

“I definitely feel like he’s getting better as time goes on.”

Drake Maye and CJ Stroud met on the field after Sunday’s game at Gillette Stadium. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

The Houston Texans have established themselves as legitimate Super Bowl contenders in record time following the rise of CJ Stroud to quarterback.

The Patriots hope to follow a similar path in the coming years, especially if Drake Maye continues to build on the promise he showed in Sunday’s 41-21 loss to the Texans

After Sunday’s game, Stroud met with the Patriots’ 22-year-old QB on the field at Gillette Stadium and gave New England’s new signal-caller some advice.

“Yeah, I gave him a little word, you know, I tried to give him a little word of encouragement,” Stroud said of his meeting with Maye after the game. “I thought he played really solid, you know. I definitely feel like he’s getting better as time goes on.”

Maye still has a long way to go if he wants to put himself in the same conversation as Stroud, who exceeded many expectations in his rookie season in 2023.

The second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Stroud led Houston to an unexpected playoff berth in his first season in the league – earning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors after throwing for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions .

Maye – the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft – showed his full potential on Sunday.

He completed 20 of his 33 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns, providing additional oomph to New England’s ground-bound offense thanks to his ability to move the ball down the field.

Maye also gained 38 yards on the ground on five carries, making him New England’s leading rusher in the loss.

As expected, there were some growing pains for Maye in his first NFL start. He was beaten for three turnovers, giving Houston 14 points in the 20-point win.

But Stroud was impressed with what he saw from his fellow QB on Sunday and gave Maye further advice after the game.

“Just be yourself, you know,” Stroud said. “Everything that got you here depends on where you want to go, and just trust yourself.” Trust that you’ll figure it out eventually.

“You’re going to have bad days. You will have beautiful days. There are days when you think to yourself, man, I’m the worst quarterback in the world, but it’s always about getting up the next day and moving on. So I would just tell him that and tell him how much I believe in him and hope he does well in this league.”

Stroud was a fan of Maye long before the young QB drove Patriots fans from their seats on Sunday.

During the 2024 NFL Draft, Stroud declared Maye his favorite QB in this draft class during Bleacher Report’s draft show.

“I feel like Drake Maye [the most NFL ready]said Stroud. “Look at his tape, just his arm talent jumps out.”

While Maye’s arm, athleticism and football IQ stand out, the supporting cast around him raises some questions about how quickly New England can turn things around.

While Stroud had success in his first season in Houston, he also benefited from a strong offensive line that included Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil and former Patriots guard Shaq Mason. Stroud also had no shortage of targets to attack with emerging playmakers like Tank Dell and Nico Collins.

Maye won’t be afforded the same level of pass protection in Foxborough this year, while young wideouts like DeMario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte shouldn’t be included in the same discussion as players like Collins.

But even though Maye and the Patriots are still a year or two away from making significant progress, Stroud believes New England’s new quarterback is on the right track.

“Honestly, just make closures, stay positive and make the people around you better,” Stroud said of his advice for Maye. “I would say those are the three things I want to know, and it doesn’t happen overnight.

“It is not easy. He has – hopefully – a team that will help him, like I did last year. I had so many people helping me. I definitely hope what I said helped him. But these three things, along with discipline, definitely helped me.”

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Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.