Josh Allen's career with the Buffalo Bills got off to a rocky start, to say the least. Early in his career, Allen was a turnover machine, but he did show untapped potential and is now in the top tier of NFL quarterbacks; he has a Most Valuable Player award to his credit.
Drake Maye has formed a strong friendship with Allen, and many experts have compared the New England Patriots' second-year quarterback to his AFC East rival.
Maye's own career has been off to a somewhat inconsistent start, as while he has flashed signs of brilliance, he has been a bit careless with the football at times, and that trait was a momentum killer for the Patriots in their Week One loss to Las Vegas.
Mentorship comes in all types of forms, and while Allen and the Bills are the Patriots' chief rivals for AFC East supremacy, the friendship between the quarterbacks could prove essential for Maye's growth as a player.
If Drake Maye can follow Josh Allen's career path, Patriots' fans will be pleased
Allen's first two years in the NFL were filled with hope but inconsistency, as his 2018 and 2019 campaigns yielded 30 touchdown passes and 21 interceptions, and the Bills didn't make the postseason either year.
Year three - the 2020 season - was when Allen's numbers - 37 TDs, 10 picks, and an AFC Championship game appearance - started to skyrocket. Coincidentally, that was the year that Tom Brady left New England for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and things in Patriots Nation have not been rosy ever since.
#Bills QB Josh Allen says he and #Patriots QB Drake Maye have “formed a good relationship.”
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) September 8, 2025
“Got to spend some time with him this offseason... He’s an unbelievable kid… He’s a bright kid. He can spin the heck outta the ball. He moves well… [He’s] only him.”
(🎥 @LikeaFarmer_) pic.twitter.com/vy5VsEi5Jy
Maye is on a bit of a pace to equal the numbers from Allen's first two campaigns, as the Patriots' signal caller has compiled 16 TD passes and 11 interceptions. Like Allen's first two Buffalo teams, the Patriots' roster still has a few holes and not the talent that exists in Buffalo or Baltimore.
But fortunately for Maye, the friendship with Allen could send his career on a strong trajectory. New England fans should not be quick to give up on their second-year quarterback, nor should they expect him to be Tom Brady. That's unrealistic and unfair to Maye.
Over Allen's first two years, Bills Mafia was grumbling about his go-for-broke mentality, but everything worked out OK in Buffalo. And it could for Maye and the Patriots.