Drake Maye's gesture after Thursday night's New England Patriots-New York Jets game stuck with Aaron Rodgers.
Maye waited for Rodgers to complete his postgame interview before approaching him. The Patriots' rookie quarterback showed his immense respect for the future Hall of Fame signal-caller.
"I just wanted to say what's up," Maye said while shaking Rodgers' hand. "Big fan. Best of luck."
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Drake Maye stood nearby while Aaron Rodgers did his interview with Amazon.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 20, 2024
“I’m waiting for the GOAT.” pic.twitter.com/prlVM61VKI
On Tuesday's episode of The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers revealed he reached out to Maye on social media after their wholesome interaction.
"I thought it was really cool that Drake stuck around to say hello," Rodgers said. "It's something definitely that I would have done as a young player to some of the guys I loved watching growing up. I just happened to be teammates with my favorite quarterback (Brett Favre) at the time.
"But that was really cool. I reached out to Drake on Instagram and told him I appreciated that. It was cool. That was a really cool moment. There's something about having that respect and deference that I just really appreciate. I had a good conversation with Alex Van Pelt, who's their (offensive) coordinator, about Drake, and they're all excited about him and the future."
"I thought it was really cool that Drake Maye stuck around to say hello..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 24, 2024
I reached out to him on Instagram and let him know that was a really cool moment" @AaronRodgers12 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/z13D3S9Qqj
For obvious reasons, Maye reportedly referring to Rodgers as "the GOAT" (Greatest Of All Time) didn't sit well with many Patriots fans. But it wasn't a shot at legendary Pats QB Tom Brady. Rather, it was Maye expressing the excitement of meeting one of his childhood idols.
"He was my favorite player growing up," Maye told the Boston Herald Thursday night. "I had a phone case with Aaron Rodgers on it for like five years of my life. He was doing a press conference, and I was late getting back here, but just wanted to let him know I'm a big fan. Enjoyed watching him tonight even though it was against us. Still, always a fan at heart, first."
Maye, the third overall pick in this year's NFL Draft, made his professional debut in the Patriots' 24-3 loss. The 22-year-old replaced veteran QB Jacoby Brissett with just under five minutes remaining in the game, completing four of eight passes for 22 yards. He was sacked twice behind New England's struggling offensive line.
Barring any surprises, the Patriots will continue to handle Maye similarly to how the Green Bay Packers handled Rodgers almost two decades ago. They're easing the rookie into action while allowing him to learn behind a respected veteran, rather than throwing him into the fire in a less-than-ideal situation.
Brissett is expected to start at QB again in Sunday's showdown with the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners are currently 10.5-point favorites for the matchup, so we could see Maye make another appearance if the score is lopsided for the second straight week.
Kickoff for Pats-49ers on Sunday is set for 4:05 p.m. ET.
