One of the least-talked-about factors in Drake Maye's terrible start to this season came to a head against the Jaguars: the quarterback pressure allowed.
There are plenty of different stats out there (NGS and PFF are the most popular), but according to my gamecharting, Maye was pressured 56.4% of his dropbacks against the Jaguars. That's unacceptable and makes it almost impossible for the passer to play at an adequate level.
It is difficult to quantify how much that affects an athletic quarterback like Maye compared to a pocket passer like Tom Brady, because they naturally invite more pressure since they keep plays alive longer than Brady-types. They also run plays (like naked bootlegs) where an unblocked rusher is likely to be there, but the QB has to elude him on his own. And QBs often cause their own pressure (Maye was responsible for 1 sack, ½ knockdown, and 1 hurry against the Jaguars) because they think they can get out of anything (Maye's issues this year has been him holding the ball too long and playing in the rhythm of the offense).
For Brady, I thought 35% pressure was iffy, 40% would affect him, and 45% or higher was basically a death sentence. For Maye, I would bump it up to 40, 45 and 50.
So far this season, the Patriots have allowed 39%, 45% and now 56%.
According to Sumer Sports, Maye has been the third-most pressured starter this season.
For 2025, he was 8th (40.6%).
Here are the least-pressured QBs of 2026. Some pretty good QBs on that list (of course, they also help themselves by throwing in the rhythm of the offense, with anticipation and conviction, which Maye is not doing).
Not only has this compounded Maye's issues (which are very real), but it has affected