Payton Manning's ex-teammate pours cold water on Drake Maye's rise while giving edge to Bo Nix

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has been one of the best players in the NFL this season. The second-year QB is in the running for the MVP award after leading his team to a 7-2 record after Week 9.

However, former NFL cornerback Aqib Talib has pumped the brakes on Maye's hype, while showering praise on Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix, who is also in his second year in the league.

"He (Nix) came and took over a bad football team last year," Talib said on "The Arena: Gridiron" on Monday. "He took them to the playoffs. It's a quarterback-driven league. ... The next year, the team is better, now we (Broncos) are #2 or #3 seed in the AFC right now. Looking real nice, right now. "And among all his peers, he got more wins. He got more touchdown passes, he got more (passing) yards. So, them are the stats I like."

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Talib was also asked if he felt Nix was better than Maye.

"I would say so," Talib said. "Because I gotta go by the entire body of work."

Talib, who was teammates with superstar QB Peyton Manning when the Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl in 2016, also pointed out that Nix led the Broncos to the playoffs in his rookie year.

Drake Maye and the Patriots will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 10 of the 2025 NFL season

New England Patriots QB Drake Maye - Source: Getty

Drake Maye and the Patriots will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2) in Week 10 of the season on Sunday. The game will kick off at 1 p.m. ET from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Maye has recorded 2,285 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, four interceptions and rushed for two TDs.

Meanwhile, Bo Nix and the Broncos (7-2) will host the Las Vegas Raiders (5-2) in their Week 10 game on Thursday night.

Edited by Arnold