Is Drake Maye good enough to get a nickname?
Well, probably, but that doesn’t mean much in the NFL, whose superstars rarely land nicknames with true staying power.
Think about it: Not even Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Justin Jefferson have real nicknames, with Joe Burrow’s “Joe Cool” barely qualifying. Perhaps that’s just a sign of the times, as it’s hard to think of any great nicknames that have caught on since the days of “Megatron” (Calvin Johnson) and “Beast Mode” (Marshawn Lynch), who carried the torch from the likes of “Prime Time (Deion Sanders) and “Sweetness” (Walter Payton).
Nevertheless, NFL safety-turned-ESPN analyst Louis Riddick proposed an intriguing nickname for Maye on Monday night.
“Drake Matrix,” Riddick wrote on X as Maye and the New England Patriots authored a 33-15 home win over the New York Giants.
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Chances are that this nickname doesn’t stick either, as we live in a world in which even the NFL’s official YouTube account propagates the “Drake ‘Drake Maye’ Maye” thing — whatever it is.
Still, “Drake Matrix” is a solid nickname. Traditionally, the best nicknames avoid direct reference to a player’s actual name — perhaps “Neo” or just “The Matrix” would work better — but then again, “Mean Joe Green” arguably is the greatest ports nickname of all time.
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Now the betting favorite to win NFL MVP, Maye will enjoy a bye week before leading the Patriots against the Buffalo Bills in Week 15.
Featured image via David Butler II/Imagn Images Images
