As New England Patriots center Jared Wilson transitions back to the middle of the formation in 2026 after spending his rookie season at left guard, communication is vital to building chemistry with quarterback Drake Maye.
“The snap and communication,” Wilson said after Saturday’s training camp practice, of what he feels is important in that development. “First it’s communication, then you’ve got to get the ball to [Maye].”
Wilson, a center in college at Georgia, originally repped at the position during
training camp last year; however, after frequent mishaps delivering the ball to Maye, he switched to guard, with Garrett Bradbury taking over the reins at the heart of the interior.
Now, with Bradbury traded to the Bears and the signing of Alijah Vera-Tucker to be the starting left guard, Wilson has reverted to center.
Head coach Mike Vrabel was asked about what he looks for in the chemistry between a quarterback and his center.
“Well, I think just the unspoken communication to be able to see it quickly, see it the same [as the quarterback], see it very similar, whether that’s pressure or defensive front, to be able to set the defense or get us in the right play,” Vrabel said. “Communication. I think that the center is the conduit to the rest of the offensive line.
“So, when the quarterback needs to get something to the line, the center is the easiest way to get it. And then his communication with everybody else has to be great. So, we’re looking forward to seeing Jared in that transition, working with Drake.”
Maye’s and Wilson’s cohesion with one another carries significant weight in the fluency of the offense’s progressions next season. This offseason, New England’s signal-caller has seen Wilson take strides in his communication.
“Now you’ve got to be loud; you’ve got to communicate. It’s hard to do. So I think [Wilson’s] done a great job just getting used to the little things at center and how he likes to do the cadence and stuff like that,” Maye said of Wilson’s improved communication. “But we’ve got a great deal with cadence and all that.”
Though, their chemistry isn’t perfect just yet. The duo mishandled a snap during Saturday’s practice as Maye continues to learn how Wilson likes to play the position.
“[Jared] hasn’t played center for a year, so you get to know his little things,” Maye said. “What he likes, how things work, if he’s going left and I’m going right, how it works, and some of the under-center things.”
Each of Wilson’s and Maye’s North Carolina backgrounds may help the duo progress quickly in their chemistry with one another. Out of high school, Maye connected with Wilson through social media, recruiting him to play at UNC.
Eventually, Wilson committed to the university in April of 2020, poised to become Maye’s center roughly half a decade ago. That said, Wilson later flipped his commitment to Georgia five months later.
The 23-year-old said the two frequently talk about their past all the time, and were during Saturday’s practice.
“Very fortunate. It was always meant to be,” Wilson said about being teammates with Maye. “That’s my guy. He’s such a good dude, laid-back dude.”
