Thursday night brings a showdown between the top quarterbacks from the 2024 NFL Draft, as Caleb Williams' Chicago Bears host Drake Maye's New England Patriots in prime time.
The duo will be forever linked, with Williams going No. 1 overall in 2024 and Maye taken No. 3. The Patriots QB got the best of his counterpart in their first meeting as rookies (19-3 win in Chicago). Maye has also taken his team to a Super Bowl, while Williams spearheaded a slew of comebacks last year and nearly had the Bears in the NFC Championship Game.
Maye was asked Tuesday whether he admires any part of Williams' game or wishes he could emulate it. The Pats QB didn't hesitate.
"Yeah. Him in the pocket, I don't know if I could do some of the things he can do," Maye said. "He's special in the way he can move and kind of escape and evade pressure, and throwing on the run is pretty cool to watch. So, I don't know if I'm that shifty in the pocket. He can do some cool things, and he's got crazy arm talent, and it's fun to watch. But no, I don't know if I'm flexible enough to try some of those things.
"But I think the way he plays the game is cool, and I know he's doing a great job. I know in Chicago, he's got the city. Fun to watch."
Maye is fun to watch in his own right, since he's stopped the brain-cramping turnovers.
Thursday's game between the two still-ascending young QBs should be chock-full of highlights.
Over the past three games, Maye is averaging 292.7 passing yards per game, up from 195.0 through the first three tilts. More importantly, he's thrown 10 touchdowns to just one interception (no picks in the past two weeks) as the New England offense has come to life, scoring 33.3 points in the trio of victories.
In his last 10 quarters, Maye has thrown for 767 yards, nine passing TDs (10 total TDs), a 127.4 passer rating, had zero giveaways, and taken one sack. Maye has three-plus passing TDs in three straight games for the first time in his career.
Williams, meanwhile, showed precision last Sunday returning from his three-week absence due to a hamstring injury. The Bears QB completed his first 12 passes against Atlanta and went 24 of 24 on dropbacks when he was not pressured.
Williams' accuracy has flipped 180 degrees early in the season. Last year, he ranked 32nd in the NFL with a 58.1 completion rate. In 2026, Williams leads the NFL with a 72.5% completion rate (min. 75 attempts). Precision plus the threat of big, explosive plays makes Williams a dangerous combo.
