From the time the Patriots drafted him with the third overall pick in 2024, skepticism has surrounded Drake Maye's future and whether he can finally become the proper successor to Tom Brady that the team has been looking for over the last five years.
There were a lot of concerns about his age and lack of experience from his days at UNC, which might have forced Jerod Mayo and Co. to hold off on giving him the starting role until Week 6 last season, but he continues to prove that was a mistake and he is the right guy for the job, which now has some analysts eating crow for their early Maye takes.
Because of his performance against the Bills this past weekend, former offensive lineman Willie Colon issued an apology to Maye for his nonchalant take on what kind of quarterback he would go on to become in the NFL.
Analyst admits he was dead wrong about Drake Maye after SNF win
The timing of the retraction is all too coincidental, but at this point, Patriots fans should embrace the fact that analysts are finally realizing the kind of quarterback they have in Maye, and he immediately put the league on notice with his impressive performance against the Bills.
That's what prompted Colon's apology, as he now believes in what Maye can do moving forward.
The newest member of the Drake Maye fan club: @WillColon66@Patriots | #NEPats pic.twitter.com/e7aBAfm7o9
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) October 6, 2025
This appears to be a sentiment that is catching on with analysts who overlooked Maye coming into the league or even after last season.
It's quite a shift from what they believed he would become, and there is still plenty of time for things to change, but when a young player beats a team like the Bills on the road, it's clear to see what their future might look like, and right now, Maye's looks bright.
That's a massive win for the Jerod Mayo era, as every draft pick other than Maye and Caedan Wallace is not on the team this season. Marcellas Dial was going to be, as well, but he suffered a season-ending injury during the summer that put him out of action.
Maye was the right guy for the job, despite several people who believed they should have been more aggressive in getting Jayden Daniels, who is now the Commanders' quarterback. He's certainly having a great start to his career, too, but Maye looks like he will be here for the long haul, especially since he will only get better from here.