Not a lot of things went right for the New England Patriots this past season, but they did have one major bright spot: quarterback Drake Maye.

Maye enjoyed a very impressive rookie campaign against all odds, throwing for 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing 66.6 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 88.1. He also rushed for 421 yards and a couple of scores.

He did all of that in spite of having probably the worst offensive line in the NFL and quite possibly the least talented group of receivers across the league.

That’s why there is some hope in Foxborough heading into 2025, and star cornerback Christian Gonzalez is clearly pumped that Maye is his signal-caller.

“I think Drake’s that boy. I mean, he can make a lot of throws,” Gonzalez told Jon Gruden on Gruden Goes Long. “I personally didn’t know how athletic he was—like how fast he was—what he can bring to the table as a runner, and he just likes to compete. I mean we go at it in practice, he talked a lot more talk than people think too, but I’m excited for him.”

Maye averaged a robust 7.8 yards per carry in 2024, so there is no question that the former No. 3 overall pick has some terrific wheels.

“He had a good year,” Gonzalez added. “Excited to see him take that step next year.”

Of course, in order to best ensure that Maye does take that next step, the Patriots need to get busy supplying him with weapons and providing him with some better protection up front in the coming months.

New England is armed with expansive cap space, so the Pats should be able to land some pieces this offseason.