As Drake Maye and A.J. Brown took the practice field Thursday for the final day of mandatory minicamp, the star wide receiver issued a challenge to his new quarterback.
Be perfect.
“I was just bragging on him, talking him up. I say, ‘Man, you’re like that. You can make any throw.’ I just want him to be confident. I was kind of pushing him today. I told him, ‘I want you to be perfect today,’” Brown said. “He was like, ‘Let’s be perfect.’ I said, ‘Don’t worry about anybody else, just focus on yourself.
You be perfect, you’re going to raise that standard, and everybody else will follow.’ So, just trying to poke at him a little bit, see how far you can go. But he’s a great player, and I’m excited for the season.”
In a competitive back-and-forth red zone day between the offense and defense, Maye and Brown continued to look like a duo that had been practicing together for years.
On Maye’s sixth dropback of the day, he appeared to have nobody open before lofting a pass to the back left corner of the end zone. Brown, who had his back turned at the time of the throw, adjusted back to haul in the touchdown.
“Drake started on the right side, but he came back to me a little late, and he threw the ball as a back shoulder,” Brown said. “It was a great ball, back shoulder, and I just kind of turned my head. Obviously the DB doesn’t know where the ball is, so, and my background playing baseball in center field, turning over shoulder, looking over the shoulder. It’s a tough catch, and I’m just glad I got my feet down.”
It was not the pair’s only connection of the day. Shortly later, Brown hauled in a quick out near the goal line before Maye’s final pass of the day found the Pro Bowler for another touchdown.
Through just five practices together, Maye has made a quick first impression on his new No. 1 target.
“What I learned about him, the talent speaks for itself,” Brown said. “He can make any throw, but I think what’s more impressive to me is that he knows what he’s doing, and to be that young, and to understand the defense, and to understand every little check, the hots, the blitz, and all those things, so young and so fast, it’s very impressive. So, I really admire that he knows what he’s talking about. He demands everybody else to know as well. He’s a true leader of men, and it’s crazy to see at a young age.”
As players leave the facility for the next six weeks, the work between Maye and Brown will not stop. Brown said the two plan to get together at some point this offseason with the goal of being ready to roll when training camp begins in late July.
“What’s important is just building that time, having that time together, building those reps, thinking how you’re thinking, playing, seeing different looks,” Brown said. “And just how he’s throwing the ball, and where I need to be. I’m just trying to be where he wants me to be.”
