Josh Allen is high on the Buffalo Bills. But he also is concerned about one of his peers on his team’s division rivals, and it’s not necessarily who you’d think.
Allen expressed his fandom for New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, who he said “exemplifies football” in a recent interview.
Maye, who the Patriots chose with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, started 12 games and went just 3-9 since they struggled with an inferior roster and coaching, since Jerod Mayo was fired after just one season. Maye replaced Allen as the AFC representative at the Pro Bowl Games this past January.
Why Is Josh Allen A Fan Of Drake Maye?
At 6-4, 225 pounds Maye is something of a Josh Allen comp, since he can be the primary focal point of an offense while running and throwing.
“I think that he exemplifies football,” Allen told Sports Illustrated recently. “He’ll take it and run, he’ll throw it.”
But aside from Maye’s physical gifts, Allen also feels the Patriots’ franchise quarterback has elite makeup.
“I think Drake is super talented, he’s one of my favorite young quarterbacks in the league,” Allen said. “I’ve spent some time around him and he’s got his head on his shoulders the right way. He just does things the right way.”
Maye was a three-year starter at North Carolina, who led the ACC in passing in both his second and third seasons in Chapel Hill. He averaged more than 300 passing-yards per game in those seasons and finished 10th in Heisman Trophy voting in 2022.
Are The Patriots Going To Be Better in 2025?
There is legitimate concern between the Patriots and their fans — though Bills fans surely won’t be crying for them.
Maye is likely to be New England’s third opening-day starter in as many seasons and the fifth in the past six years, including Tom Brady, who last played with the Patriots during the 2019 season.
Aside from that, New England is about to break in its second coach of the post-Bill Belichick era, though Mike Vrabel at least has been a head coach in 99 games in the NFL.
Still, Allen appreciates some of the moves the Patriots made this off-season, including the signing of his former teammate, wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who will give Maye a true No. 1 target.
“He brings a lot of security for Drake,” Allen said. “Obviously, having the knowledge of playing in the league for so long, he has that veteran mentorship that he can give to Drake.”
Allen knows what Diggs can do because he did it for the Bills quarterback after Buffalo acquired Diggs from the Minnesota Vikings on March 16, 2020.
Allen had played well in his first two seasons, he became one of the best quarterbacks with Diggs. Buffalo went 48-18 over Diggs’ four seasons in Western New York and won at least one postseason games every year, including their run to the AFC Championship Game in 2020.
Though Allen has his own hopes of winning a ring, he also believes Diggs will do all that for Maye this season.
“To have someone like Stefon is going to help him out a lot,” Allen said.
