Patriots' Christian Gonzalez highlights teams' respect for Drake Maye amid 1-1 start

Christian Gonzalez said there are “natural leaders” in the Patriots locker room, and Drake Maye is one of them. The New England cornerback, speaking as the franchise follows a 1-1 start to the 2026 campaign, described Maye as earning the trust of teammates in his second season. When asked to identify the best leaders on the roster, Gonzalez named linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley, veteran receiver Stefon Diggs, and Maye. Gonzalez praised Maye for taking charge, saying he has “found his voice” and that everyone respects it—“we lean on him. We go as he goes.” The quarterback’s Week 2 performance helped earn that confidence. Maye led New England to a 20-3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, connecting with Hunter Henry and TreVeyon Henderson deep to control tempo, after New England lost 13-10 to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1. On defense, Gonzalez also highlighted his unit’s impact against DK Metcalf and Pittsburgh’s passing attack ahead of Week 3 versus the Jacksonville Jaguars.