Aaron Rodgers reveals he reached out to Drake Maye after Patriots QB's gesture post blowout loss
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers lauded Drake Maye's gesture following Thursday night's matchup between the Jets and the New England Patriots. The rookie quarterback stayed on the field to greet Rodgers after suffering a humbling loss, making a good impression on the four-time NFL MVP.
During an appearance on Tuesday's edition of the Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers labeled Maye's decision as 'cool,' adding that he reached out to the former UNC QB on social media later.
"I thought it was really cool that Drake [Maye] stuck around to say hello. It's something definitely that I would've done as a young player to some of the guys I watched growing up. I just happened to be teammates with my favorite quarterback at the time.
"It was really cool, I reached out to him on Instagram to tell him that I appreciated that. So, it was cool. It was really cool. There's something about having that respect and deference that I just really appreciate," Rodgers said.
The New York Jets kickstarted Week 3 of the 2024 NFL season with a 24-3 blowout win against the New England Patriots establishing themselves as one of the favorites to win the AFC East division alongside the undefeated Buffalo Bills.
Aaron Rodgers dominated the game from start to finish, completing 27 passes for 281 passing yards and two touchdown passes, demonstrating that he still belongs to the league's elite while confirming the Jets are heating up.
On the other hand, the Patriots looked nothing like the team that upset the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 (16-10) and fell to the Seattle Seahawks in overtime in Week 2 (23-20).
Drake Maye faced Aaron Rodgers in first snaps in the NFL
While Aaron Rodgers put on a show for the Jets, Jacoby Brissett struggled to get things going for New England. The veteran quarterback completed 12 of 18 passes for 98 aerial yards but could not get his team to the end zone. Drake Maye replaced him, completing four of his eight pass attempts for 22 yards.
The Patriots looked like a competitive squad in the first two games under Jerod Mayo, but the Jets dismantled them from the start of the game. They'll face the San Francisco 49ers next Sunday, hoping to do what Aaron Rodgers and the Jets couldn't and beat the Niners.
Drake Maye is expected to be the quarterback of their future, but coach Mayo could be throwing him to the pitch if Brissett's struggles continue.