Multiple factors will rob Patriots QB Drake Maye of rookie honors this season

The most exciting part of the Patriots 2024 season has been the addition of rookie quarterback Drake Maye, and he brought optimism to the team well before he was given the role of being the starter in Week 6. It has only grown since he has flourished in the games since, even if they have stacked more losses than wins.

He has already proven to be exactly what the Patriots needed as their next franchise quarterback, making their games during a tough rebuilding year a lot more watchable for most people, especially after how the beginning of the season was shaping up to be.

Fans of other teams around the league and a long list of analysts are starting to recognize Maye for his performances. His impressive effort against the Rams in Week 11 seems to really put their belief in him over the top. It has garnered a lot of attention and put a focus on the upcoming NFL awards at the end of the season, with Maye likely to be up for consideration for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

But because of a few factors, one being that he didn't start in Week 1 like most other first-round rookies, he's likely already out of the running for the recognition, which former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky isn't too thrilled about.

Drake Maye's unfortunate circumstances essentially eliminate him from real consideration for OROY

Reflecting on Maye's performance against the Rams last Sunday, many in the media, like Orlovsky, have started to mention the rookie as a contender for NFL recognition. But there's a big problem that will likely hold him back from not just winning the award but being legitimately considered along with his competition.

The ESPN analysts mentioned that the Patriots losing season is also a hit to Maye's candidacy, which is a big disappointment given how great he has played so far this year despite all that's working against him.

While this feels like an unfair measure of his performance this year, these types of awards almost always go to players on winning teams, so this would be no different than those who have received it in the past.

It's just an unfortunate circumstance that Maye was put in, but it's the right situation for the Patriots, as he looks to be the perfect guy to get them back on track to being a winning team again. So, at least we can appreciate that and know he doesn't need an NFL award for that to be true.

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