Patriots HC Mike Vrabel gives blunt first impression of Drake Maye-AJ Brown connection

Drake Maye has a new weapon in the passing game in AJ Brown after the New England Patriots traded a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles to acquire the superstar wide receiver. With Maye and Brown just beginning to connect, Mike Vrabel shared his first impression of their early chemistry in mandatory minicamp.

While talking with media members on Wednesday, the 50-year-old head coach claimed that Maye’s and Brown’s connection is something that needs to be worked on, according to Mike Kadlick of Sports Illustrated. At the very least, Vrabel did say the two connected in the red zone more than once during practice.

“They found each other a couple times yesterday in the red zone,” said Vrabel about Maye and Brown. “I think it’s just a work in progress.”

Building chemistry is not a new concept, as the early stages can sometimes be rocky between a quarterback and a wide receiver upon their first time working together. Continuous reps and time should fix that issue. Luckily for the Patriots, it’s early June, and the club has several months before Week 1 of the 2026-27 season.

AJ Brown joins New England after becoming frustrated with the Eagles over his role in the offense. Even so, the seven-year veteran finished last season with 78 receptions, 1,003 yards, and seven touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Drake Maye is coming off a stellar 2025-26 campaign. His second season in the NFL was wildly successful, as the former first-round pick finished with 4,394 passing yards and 31 touchdowns while owning a league-high 72.0% completion percentage. Maye also added 450 yards and four scores on the ground.

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