CJ Stroud shares words of wisdom for Drake Maye after Pats-Texans

CJ Stroud shares words of wisdom for Drake Maye after Pats-Texans originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

FOXBORO – CJ Stroud had something to say.

He found himself in the same situation he was in a month ago after taking rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the Bears in the first round. That post-match interaction, in which Stroud attempted to offer some advice to a player a year behind him in his professional development, was not particularly well received.

But that didn't stop Stroud from pulling Drake Maye aside on Sunday. Twice.

Immediately after the Texans' 41-21 win over the Patriots, the couple did their signature handshake for the cameras. Then, after the crowd had moved on and their shots were fired, Stroud turned around and said something else to Maye.

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

Maye finished the game completing 20 of his 33 attempts for 243 yards and three touchdowns. He also threw two picks and lost a fumble on a strip sack. But despite New England's 20-point loss, there was optimism in the Patriots' locker room about Maye's performance.

Stroud also felt encouraged by this. However, it's fair to say that he was a fan of Maye even before he was drafted. So his advice for the No. 3 overall pick in this year's draft was straightforward.

“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 good days. There are days when you look at yourself like, 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.

Maye could do worse in terms of mentorship in the league.

Despite being only about 11 months older than Maye, Stroud had arguably the most productive rookie quarterbacking campaign the NFL has seen in recent years in 2023, completing 64 percent of his passes and throwing 26 touchdown passes, compared to just five interceptions. He also led the Texans to a 10-7 record and an AFC South title.

Stroud had a very different situation as a rookie than Maye has now.

The Patriots fielded an offensive line Sunday with four players who were released by their respective teams after training camp. Left guard Michael Jordan was released by the Patriots in August but was brought back. Left tackle Zach Thomas (who replaced injured starter Vederian Lowe) and right tackle Demontrey Jacobs were substitutes. And starting center Ben Brown was released from the Raiders practice squad last week.

Stroud, meanwhile, had a group last year that included Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil, former Patriots guard Shaq Mason and second-round pick Juice Scruggs.

The Patriots are also still operating without a clear No. 1 wide receiver, while a season ago Stroud helped two young wideouts – Nico Collins and Tank Dell – emerge as two of the league's best.

What would Stroud like to know if he were back in Maye's shoes at the start of his rookie season?

“Honestly, just take degrees, stay positive and make the people around you better,” Stroud said. “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 last year. I had so many people who helped me. I definitely hope what I said helped him. But those three things definitely helped me, just being disciplined.”

Stroud was right. It won't be easy. Maye was sacked four times and hit four more times on Sunday. But perhaps his late-afternoon back-and-forth with Stroud has given him a helpful perspective as his journey to first class begins.

Few know what it's like to change the fortunes of a franchise. Fewer have managed it as effectively as Stroud.