The rise of Drake Maye during his rookie season with the Patriots might not have happened at the start of the year, but it has been so far, so good, and certainly worth the wait. Although he hasn't been able to secure a win just yet, he has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Patriots chose the right quarterback in this year's draft, and he can be the face of the franchise for years to come.
Because it has been a long time coming for the organization to find the right quarterback, analysts and fans are thrilled to see Maye's early success, which has brought out excitement about the team's future after an abysmal first half of the season.
That was exacerbated even more with his game-tying touchdown at the end of last week's game against the Titans, a play that has been on repeat in the days since. The game might not have ended the way anyone hoped, but that was a solidifying moment for the quarterback in Foxboro.
Unfortunately, not everyone is happy about the Patriots appearing to have hit the quarterback jackpot with Maye, as longtime rival head coach Rex Ryan shared his true feelings on the matter after watching the quarterback's performance in Week 9.
Rex Ryan's rival roots make him unhappy seeing Drake Maye's success with the Patriots
When discussing the past weekend's games on ESPN earlier this week, Ryan wasn't chomping at the bit to express excitement about Maye's impressive final drive.
In fact, he can't get rid of his deep-rooted rival feelings from his time as the New York Jets head coach, sharing he "hates" seeing the Patriots have a "stud" quarterback.
“I hated this play. You know why I hated the play? Because this kid for New England is a stud. This quarterback’s a stud. I hate to see it.”
Hearing the disdain from Ryan over his longest rival appearing to have found their next franchise quarterback after struggling for the past four seasons is music to Patriots fans' ears. Because there aren't many wins happening in New England, small moments like this could be considered one of the better moments this year and should put the AFC East on notice.
Once Maye has a solid offense around him, with a dependable offensive line and an improved receiving corps, the Patriots are already projected to be a contender again, which could happen as quickly as next season.
That's the last thing anyone, especially someone like Ryan, would want to happen after dealing with the Patriots' dominance for over two decades.