Drake Maye’s Monday Night Football performance was more than just impressive - it was a statement. The second-year quarterback carved up the New York Giants with surgical precision, completing 24 of 31 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns.
It wasn’t just the numbers, though. It was the command, the poise, the way he orchestrated the offense like a seasoned vet.
Right now, Maye isn’t just playing well - he’s leading the best team in football and building a case for MVP that’s getting harder to ignore.
Let’s be honest: even the most optimistic Patriots fans probably didn’t expect this kind of leap so soon. There were flashes last season - moments where you could see the potential simmering - but this?
"You get a franchise quarterback every year. You get an all-timer about every 4 or 5 years. I think we found one."@colincowherd thinks Drake Maye has a chance to be special in New England pic.twitter.com/i9t9S6nI3V
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) December 2, 2025
This is something else. Maye has gone from promising young talent to legitimate franchise cornerstone in the span of a few months.
And while skeptics were waiting for the hot start to cool off, Maye’s only gotten better. He’s stacking performances, week after week, that are reshaping how we talk about the Patriots - and about him.
A few months ago, picking New England to win the AFC East over the Buffalo Bills felt like a hot take. Now?
It’s a real possibility. The Patriots are rolling, and Maye is the engine behind it all.
His consistency has turned heads across the league, and the MVP chatter that once felt premature now feels like a natural part of the conversation. It’s not just that he’s playing well - it’s that he’s playing like one of those guys.
Colin Cowherd added fuel to the fire this week, saying on his show, *“You get a franchise quarterback every year. You get an all-timer about every four or five years.
I think we found one.” * That’s lofty praise, but it’s hard to argue with the sentiment.
Cowherd pointed to Maye’s size, arm talent, and football IQ - and said simply, *“He doesn’t miss.” *
And right now, he really doesn’t.
Of course, the NFL moves fast. Just a few weeks ago, Maye was a promising young QB.
Now, he’s being mentioned in the same breath as the league’s elite. And if he keeps this up, the conversation is only going to grow louder.
A Patriots-Bears Super Bowl? That’s not some wild hypothetical anymore - it’s a scenario with real traction.
Meanwhile, teams like Kansas City, Baltimore, and Detroit are in danger of slipping out of the playoff picture entirely. That’s how quickly the league can flip.
But here’s the thing: as much as Maye is lighting it up in the regular season, the real test is still ahead. Postseason football is a different animal, and legacies are built - or broken - in January and February.
If Maye can deliver in the playoffs, then we’re talking about a whole new level of recognition. That’s when the takes really start flying.
Just look at Jalen Hurts. Even after winning a Super Bowl and taking home MVP honors, he’s still facing criticism.
That’s the nature of the position. The bar is high.
But for now, it’s worth appreciating what Maye is doing in real time. He’s not just meeting expectations - he’s redefining them.
So no, nothing Cowherd said feels all that outlandish anymore. What once sounded like hype now sounds like reality. And if Maye keeps playing like this, we may be witnessing the rise of the NFL’s next great quarterback - in real time.