The New England Patriots might not be a perfect team, but they've already found the most difficult piece of the puzzle. Drake Maye is their quarterback of the future, and there's no doubt about that at this point.
Maye has earned his stripes in this league. He led the team to the Super Bowl in his first year as a starter, and he's overcome a slow start to the season to prove that last year's success wasn't a one-year thing.
That's why the Patriots shouldn't take a page out of the Denver Broncos' book with their own quarterback. Apparently, they'll pick up Bo Nix's fifth-year option before deciding on an extension, and the Patriots can't afford that mistake.
The Patriots must extend Drake Maye the second he's eligible for a new deal
While there are plenty of reasons to doubt Nix as a franchise quarterback, what's not to like about Maye? He's young and durable, can make plays with his legs, can throw every play in the book, is coachable, works hard, and has won over the locker room.
He literally checks all the boxes. This should be a no-brainer, and the longer the Patriots delay this decision, the more they'll ultimately have to pay him in the ever-growing, inflated quarterback market.
There's no universe where the Chicago Bears don't give Caleb Williams a market-resetting contract extension. Even after another disappointing season, Jayden Daniels might get a big payday, and the Patriots must jump the gun and lock in Maye before the initial asking price goes up.
Who knows? Maybe Maye will even take a page out of Tom Brady's book and take a pay cut so the team can keep more talent around him. He seems to be in this for the right reasons, and he's certainly shown the type of team-first mindset and character to make a move like this.
The Patriots took things slowly with Maye at first, but once he took the field and the reins of the offense, he proved to be the right guy for the job. There should be no 'buts' or 'ifs' after what he's accomplished in so little time.
Of course, he's far from perfect; he's still a work in progress. But we're talking about a young man in his third year in the pros, so that's the way it's supposed to be.
The Broncos might not be sure about whether Bo Nix is worth market-setting money, and that's fine. For the Patriots, it should be a no-brainer.
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