The New England Patriots appear to have a budding star quarterback in the NFL in Drake Maye. On Sunday night, Maye defeated the Buffalo Bills to give Buffalo its first loss of the young season.
In the process, Drake Maye made a collection of beautiful throws, extended plays from the pocket, and has a clear number one connection with receiver Stefon Diggs. Maye completed 22 of 30 pass attempts for 273 yards.
Maye has now played in 18 games in the NFL, and his numbers through 18 games are shockingly similar to franchise legend Tom Brady.
Drake Maye vs. Tom Brady through 18 games
These stats, courtesy of UnderdogNFL, paint a picture that makes Drake Maye comparable to Tom Brady.
Through Tom Brady's first 18 regular-season games, he was 319/494 with 3,412 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and 13 INTs.
Drake Maye's first 18 starts? 338/491 with 3,527 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and 12 INTs.
There is a lot of similarity between those stat lines. Maye has completed 68.8 percent of his passes in his NFL career thus far. Tom Brady's numbers average out to 64.5 percent completion through his first 18 games.
Tom Brady did defy all odds throughout his career by getting significantly better with age, but Drake Maye appears to have all the physical aspects that could make him a top 10 quarterback in this league for a long time.
Check out more of TJ French's stories here: