The Jets drafted Marcus Maye in the second round in 2017, and he’s on his third head coach, second GM regime, and third “franchise quarterback” as he enters his fifth season. The 28-year-old, who is the longest-tenured Jet, has also seen just 18 wins in his first four campaigns, and by now, he’s used to it all.
"I think about it sometimes, it does feel weird that it's five years and being the longest-tenured guy, but you just got to come in and adjust, learn a new way, learn on the fly. Been like that since I’ve been here for the most part," Maye said Thursday. "Each year, just learning to adapt to what’s new. Can't necessarily worry about what year guys are in, how many years they’ve been playing, we all gotta find a way to get on the same page as fast as possible so we can go out and win games.”
But optimism springs anew this year, as Joe Douglas has his head coach in Robert Saleh, and hopefully a true long-term solution at quarterback in Zach Wilson – so the names may change, but to Maye, who may be in his final season as a Jet on his rookie deal, the song remains the same.
"Being the best that I can be and winning games that’s all it really comes down to,” Maye said. “If you’re not here to win games, you’re not coming out to practice to get better, to win games, then what are we doing it for? So that’s all that really matters at the end of the day, is winning games.”
Maye is the elder statesman of the team overall, but also the leader of a young secondary that has to match up with some of the most dynamic offenses in football this season – beyond the AFC East, the Jets face the juggernaut NFC South, as well as an AFC South that could be explosive – and he’s the one that has to be the mentor to the group.
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So far, so good with his young DB mates.
“They’re not scared at all. They all want to learn, they all have the passion for it. Each day, they come out and get better and better,” Maye said. “You can see them stacking their days. I’m excited for them. They all can fly around, they all can come up and make tackles when they need to.
It’ll be interesting to see all those guys get a shot.”
But don’t believe that doesn’t mean Maye himself can coast, or rest on his laurels as the veteran leader.
"I'm just finding where I belong in the new system," Maye said. "I'm still trying to get into the swing of things. I'm not where I want to be. I have to go out and do it every day."
The young guys with him will get plenty of shot, given that Bless Austin and Lamar Jackson, who ended 2020 as the Jets’ starting corner duo, are both gone.
"It was surprising for me," Maye said of Austin’s release. "I didn't see it coming at all, I don't think anybody did. Now I have to get better at communicating with the young guys. Get them up to speed, keep them on their toes. Nothing different on my end – communicate and play ball.”
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And so far, the new coaching staff has impressed Maye with the way they’re working with the team overall.
"They're doing a great job treating us all the same, old and young,” Maye said. "They keep everyone on the same page, hold everyone accountable the same way. I like that. They do listen to us, they ask us for a lot of feedback. How can I help? And vice versa. They're making sure everyone is doing well and getting the job done.”
One thing that has also helped with: putting the sour taste in Maye’s mouth from offseason coaching negotiations to bed.
"Once that was over with, I just put it to the side and got back to the basics of playing football," he said. "Once I get on the grass I never worry about anything else."
Maye will get a contract somewhere, sometime between now and next spring, and whether or not he stays in New York, or joins ex-mate Jamal Adams among the highest-paid safeties in the league, or whatever happens, all he can control now is the next 17 games (and hopefully more).
"Winning games is first, that's what you play the game for. Also taking care of your family and making sure you're set up for the future, but you control the controllables,” he said. “If you have no control over something, there's no point in getting all upset.”
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