Fellow Rookie QB Describes Patriots’ Drake Maye As ‘Explosive’

Week 10 of the NFL season will showcase two rookie quarterbacks who are playing for bad football teams — the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears.

They square off against each other for the first time when Drake Maye and the New England Patriots travel to Chicago to take on Caleb Williams and the Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday. Williams told reporters he’s known the Patriots quarterback for quite some time.

“I’ve actually known Drake for a while. He’s an Elite 11 guy, been in the same class as me since then,” Williams said, per team-provided video. “I’ve known him for a while, good guy. Country dude, and a competitor.”

The pair competed in the Elite 11 quarterback competition in 2020. The program is designed to help high school quarterbacks advance their football and training knowledge. Williams took home the MVP title over Maye and fellow 2024 first-round pick JJ McCarthy.

Despite never playing against each other in college, Williams is well-versed in the type of game Maye brings to the football field.

“I think his game is exactly what y’all saw in college,” Williams explained. “I think he’s explosive. I think he’s accurate. I think he’s a tall, strong figure back there in the pocket. I think he makes plays for his team.”

Maye and Williams are two of the most athletic quarterbacks in the sport. When the pocket breaks down, they can escape the pass rush and pick up yardage with a scramble. The Patriots rookie has 209 rushing yards on 21 carries, including one touchdown. Williams has 221 rushing yards on 38 carries but has yet to find the back of the endzone with his legs.

Maye took over as the Patriots starter in Week 6 against the Houston Texans. The New England rookie has completed 82 passes for 770 yards across five games with six touchdowns. Williams has led the Bears to a 4-4 record this season with 1,665 passing yards on 162 completions and nine touchdowns.

The New England rookie shared his unique relationship with Williams and accolades for his opponent when he met with the media on Wednesday.