If Drake Maye reaches his full potential, there's a chance he could potentially become a Josh Allen-type quarterback, and that would obviously be amazing for the future of the New England Patriots.
Maye has a lot of Allen-like traits. He has a rocket arm, great size, great athleticism and extends plays with his mobility outside the pocket.
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The rookie quarterback admitted Wednesday he has a "long way to go" to get "anywhere close" to Allen's level. And he's absolutely right. Allen is the MVP frontrunner, while Maye is a rookie with eight career starts.
But Maye has shown plenty of exciting potential in those starts, so much that even Allen has been quite impressed with the Patriots rookie.
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"I think their quarterback is going to be really good for a really long time," Allen told reporters at a press conference Wednesday when asked about the Patriots. "He’s making some unbelievable plays, extending and from the pocket. I’ve got a lot of respect for him and his game."
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In some ways, Maye is ahead of where Allen was as a rookie.
Allen struggled his first two seasons, completing less than 60 percent of his passes and totaling 30 touchdown passes and 21 interceptions over that span. Maye has been much more accurate as a passer, completing 64.4 percent of his passes in Year 1. Maye also is averaging 8.5 yards per rush, which is at least 1.4 yards per attempt more than Allen has ever averaged in a season.
Allen, of course, has taken a dramatic leap in his development in recent seasons, beginning in 2020 when he completed 69.2 percent of his passes for 4,544 yards with 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while leading the Bills to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since 1993.
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Fast forward to this season and Allen is arguably the most difficult player in the league to defend. He carves up defenses through the air and on the ground. Since the beginning of the 2023 season, Allen has 54 passing touchdowns and 26 rushing touchdowns. That's an astounding total.
Will Maye be able to make a similar leap in a few seasons?
It depends on a number of factors, including the team's ability to bring in more talent around him. Coaching also is a huge part of the equation. Allen's ascent really took off when the Bills hired Brian Daboll in 2018 to be their offensive coordinator. Daboll's work with Allen helped him get hired as the New York Giants' head coach in 2022.
With the Patriots and Bills being in the same division, we should see plenty of Maye vs. Allen showdowns over the next few years. The first ever head-to-head matchup between them will be Sunday afternoon when the Bills host the Patriots at Highmark Stadium. They'll play again Week 18 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.
