The New England Patriots just got a fresh jolt of energy from an unlikely source: the Bill Simmons Podcast. While breaking down the latest Chiefs game, Bill Simmons openly compared Drake Maye and Patrick Mahomes, hinting that his Patriots quarterback might actually be playing better than the Chiefs star right now. It was a simple line, but it hit hard for Patriots and Chiefs fans alike.
Simmons started with the big swing. “It was the first time I was watching a Mahomes game thinking to myself, I think my Patriots quarterback would’ve done better on that one.” The delivery was calm. The implication was not. Drake Maye, the young Patriots QB who came into the season as a curiosity, now sits squarely in MVP conversations. Mahomes, meanwhile, keeps battling a season that feels heavier than any he has carried.
Simmons kept pressing. He pointed to Patrick Mahomes’ growing list of mistakes, including what he called “a scrub quarterback interception.” Inside the red zone. Inside the 15. “Mahomes… this s—t wasn’t happening with him a couple years ago,” he said. His tone carried disbelief. Maybe even disappointment. And he stressed the weapons aren’t the problem. “He certainly has better weapons than Buffalo does.”
The Brady shadow, the Mahomes slide, and Maye's rise for the Patriots
The contrast stung because Simmons brought Patriots legend Tom Brady into the conversation. Not for nostalgia, but for context. “Brady went 5–5 twice. His first two seasons as a starter.” He added that Brady barely ever lost five games again. And then came the line that echoed everywhere: Mahomes is “a .500 quarterback this season” while people still talk GOAT comparisons.
That’s where Drake Maye reentered the picture. Simmons wasn’t joking. He wasn’t being cute. He said what he felt: watching Mahomes now, the young Patriots star might actually outperform him on the same field.
It sounded wild in August. It doesn’t sound wild today. And for Patriots fans, the real question is simple: if Drake Maye keeps climbing, how far does this belief go?
