Patriots Country

J.J. Watt is Big Fan of Patriots' Drake Maye

An NFL legend spoke out boldly about New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye after his debut.

Evan Massey

Oct 13, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) looks to throw against the Houston Texans during the first half at Gillette Stadium.
Oct 13, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) looks to throw against the Houston Texans during the first half at Gillette Stadium. / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
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Drake Maye has officially gotten his first NFL start in the books. While he wasn't able to lead the New England Patriots to a win over the Houston Texans, he showed a ton of his big-time potential.

Even though he was sacked four times and threw two interceptions throughout the game, Maye's confidence and aggressiveness never wavered. It was those concerns that made so many Patriots fans worry about the rookie playing so early in his career.

Far too often, young quarterbacks get named the starter and get shaken up and rattled right off the bat. Making mistakes can be difficult to let go of and some let the possibility of making mistakes force them to change their game. Maye clearly isn't that kind of quarterback.

When everything was said and done, Maye ended up completing 20 of his 33 pass attempts for 243 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also picked up 38 yards on the ground.

Following his debut, NFL legend J.J. Watt spoke out about Maye. He is clearly a fan of what he saw.

"If I'm a Pats fan... I'm encouraged by the way Drake Maye played," Watt said.

Throughout the course of the game, Maye made a lot of very impressive throws. His first touchdown pass of his career was an absolutely perfect throw from 40 yards out.

He displayed excellent leadership ability, confidence, and high football IQ as well.

There are a lot of positives to take out of this game. Granted, New England is far from being a Super Bowl contender right now. However, they are on the right path with Maye leading the way.

Looking forward at the rest of the 2024 season, the Patriots are not going to be focusing on winning and competing for a Super Bowl. They are going to developing Maye and working on getting him to the elite quarterback level that they believe he can be.

It will certainly be interesting to watch as he develops over the next few years. After his debut, it certainly looks like he's the franchise caliber quarterback that New England drafted him to be.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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Evan Massey
EVAN MASSEY

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