Drake Maye gets hilarious new nickname on true Patriots potential

Jimmy Kimmel's Cousin Sal gives the New England Patriots polarizing quarterback the perfect nickname on "The Bill Simmons Podcast."

Sep 7, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) reacts after the game at Gillette Stadium. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Every New England Patriots fan is hoping Drake Maye can be their next Tom Brady, having won an insane six Super Bowls for the franchise, even if he's only a poor man's version.

So far, the third overall pick in last year's NFL QB-heavy draft behind the equally embattled Chicago Bears No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams and the instant superstar, Washington Commanders' Jayden Daniels, the jury is still out on whether the North Carolina standout has what it takes to be a premier signal caller for the Patriots.

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Sep 21, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) warms up before the game aginst the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium. | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Bill Simmons, a diehard New England sports fan in every sense of the word, has built an empire at Spotify and "The Ringer" originally starting out writing columns about his favorite teams, so naturally he talks about his Patriots every Sunday for "Guess the Lines" with his good buddy Cousin Sal on "The Bill Simmons Podcast."

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Through three weeks, Drake Maye ranks:

-- 10th in adjusted yards/attempt
-- 8th in EPA/play
-- 5th in CPOE
-- 7th in success rate
-- 10th in PFF's passing grade
-- 2nd in completion percentage

— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) September 22, 2025

When it came time to talk about Maye's up-and-down performance in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-14, with a more than respectable 102.1 passer rating, throwing for 268 yards, two touchdowns, and one pick, Cousin Sal gave the 23 year old the perfect nickname: Drake Maye-be.

"That's so good," Simmons admits. "I'm never going to call him that, but that's really good. It's just a really good nickname... I feel like that might stick unless he can shake it."

Sep 21, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) after the game at Gillette Stadium. | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

The 2024 first-round QB class, which also includes the Atlanta Falcons' Michael Penix Jr., the Minnesota Vikings' J.J. McCarthy, and the Denver Broncos' Bo Nix will be talked about for years to come, with so many NFL team's fortunes tied to whether they succeed or turn into the dreaded bust.

For Drake, it's still a Maye-be.

Sep 21, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) warms up before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium. | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

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