There was a lot of excitement surrounding the Patriots 2024 draft class, mainly for quarterback Drake Maye, as he was highly regarded as one of the best prospects of the entire group of rookies.
The Patriots had struggled to find the right signal caller since Tom Brady left the team in 2020. They went through a season of Cam Newton followed by a roller coaster ride of Mac Jones over the next three years, ultimately resulting in the third overall pick to take Maye last year.
Despite believing he could be their next franchise quarterback, it was expected for Maye to ride the bench for most of his rookie season, allowing him to watch and learn from seasoned veteran Jacoby Brissett to put him in the best position possible to succeed in his move to the NFL. That seemed like a good plan until the losses piled up and put the Patriots in a tough situation, forcing Jerod Mayo and Co. to make Maye the starter in Week 6.
From then on, regardless of the more losing than winning, the rookie quarterback impressed on the field and in the locker room for several reasons, with his poise and maturity being the most noteworthy. Many wondered if he could have been in the Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation had he started in Week 1, but it didn't matter much when it was clear he would be their quarterback of the future.
Instead, he's being rewarded by being name to the Pro Bowl.
Drake Maye has been named to the 2024 Pro Bowl as an alternate
Despite only playing in 13 games, Maye was announced as a Pro Bowl alternate on Tuesday morning, earning the same recognition that Mac Jones saw during the 2021 season.
First year, first Pro Bowl ✅@DrakeMaye2 is heading to the #ProBowlGames pic.twitter.com/2KHbCHa1XF
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 28, 2025
While most will take issue with calling Maye a Pro Bowler because he's an alternate, it's still a sign of just how talented and impressive he was to the fans and his peers, which is always worthy of recognition.
The hope is this won't be the last time he will be considered a Pro Bowler, but it's a great start for his career with the Patriots, and it should only get better from here.