Drake Maye Draws Daniel Jones Comparison From Former UNC Teammate

The New England Patriots, armed with a 10-2 record, are sitting atop the AFC heading into Week 12. A big reason for their success has been the play of second-year quarterback Drake Maye, but he isn’t the only passer who has led his team to a surprising amount of success this season.

Another guy who fits that bill is Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback Daniel Jones. After getting signed to a meager one-year, $14 million contract in free agency, Jones beat out Anthony Richardson for the starting job and has led his new team to an 8-3 record through 11 games.

One guy who has gotten to play with both Maye and Jones is Colts’ wide receiver Josh Downs. After playing with Maye in college during their time together with the North Carolina Tar Heels, Downs has spent the 2025 campaign catching passes from Jones. And as he sees it, both of these guys are fairly similar.

“Their competitive drive is very similar,” Downs said on “The Schultz Report.” “When you see how they kind of will scramble and they’ll put their body on the line, I think they’re very similar in that manner.

And then just how hard they work. They’re athletic for sure, but they really will go out there and run and do anything to get that first down. That’s when you know you got a real competitor.”

Prior to this season, if you got compared to Jones, it probably wasn’t a good thing. Jones has been stellar for the Colts, though, as he’s thrown for 2,840 yards and 17 touchdowns, helping the team take control of the AFC South heading into Week 13.

It’s tough to argue with this comparison, considering how solid both Maye and Jones have been this season, and they will look to continue leading their teams forward, with a potential postseason meeting being in the cards. New England will look to win its league-leading 11th game in Week 13 when it takes on the New York Giants.