Expectations were high for Drake Maye going into his second NFL season, as he was coming off an impressive showing during his rookie season once he got the official start in Week 6 last year. From his performance, it was projected that he would experience a second-year jump, similar to what many had previously hoped to see with Mac Jones, but never saw.
The return of Josh McDaniels only heightened that optimism surrounding the quarterback, on top of Mike Vrabel replacing Jerod Mayo as head coach. The new regime emphasized ensuring Maye would thrive this fall, and while he has in many areas, we're still seeing some of the questionable decisions that plagued his rookie progression.
The primary concern remains his turnovers, as he was strip-sacked last week and threw an untimely interception. That has prompted some to question if he's the right guy, with even some analysts giving him a nickname that might resonate more with fans than anyone could have imagined.
Drake Maye receives a new nickname after another turnover heavy game
While discussing the Patriots' latest loss on a new episode of "The Bill Simmons Podcast," co-host Cousin Sal shared a new nickname he came up with for the 23-year-old quarterback, referring to him as 'Drake Maybe' because of his inconsistent performances.
This hurt my feelings pic.twitter.com/SEHgbJSLt2
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) September 22, 2025
Simmons was a fan of the name, but stated he would never refer to him as that because he is a well-documented believer of Maye as the Patriots' next franchise quarterback.
There is plenty to support that belief, too, because Maye has played phenomenally well despite the turnovers. He's already completed 73% of his passes, recorded 785 passing yards, five touchdowns to two interceptions, along with 21 carries for 87 yards and a score.
He has all the tools to be exactly the kind of player the team has longed for since Tom Brady left five years ago, but just needs some fine-tuning to avoid the mistakes he makes when trying to overcompensate for falling behind in the game. That will come, especially now that McDaniels is working with him, and we've already seen how good he can be in Week 2 against the Dolphins.
Seeing more of that, or even more of how he played against the Steelers but without the turnovers, will solidify his role under center for the long haul. He's so young and has only started 15 NFL games in his career, so he could still be considered a rookie at this point, yet he is performing like someone more experienced than that.
Once things get cleaned up, there won't be any concerns about what Maye can do, and hopefully, he can shed that "Maybe" nickname much sooner than some might think.