Super Bowl champion weighs in on what sets Drake Maye apart, whether easy schedule boosted his success

Russell Wilson and Kyle Long weigh in on Drake Maye's performance this year

Sep 24, 2026 at 10:06 am ET • 2 min read

Was he great or was it just an easy schedule? If you keep up with the NFL, you probably know which quarterback I'm talking about without even having to name him, but to erase any confusion I'll name him anyway: New England Patriots' Drake Maye.

The opinions are varied and this season Maye can prove that it was his talent, not the level of talent he was up against, as a main reason that the Patriots made the Super Bowl last year. So far, he's hasn't silenced the haters. 

Football fans everywhere, including Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson and Pro Bowler Kyle Long, are weighing in on the Drake debate and whether it's time to panic over the former first-round pick.

On the CBS Sports' series "Set Hut!" -- available to watch on the CBS Sports YouTube Channel, CBS Sports HQ and Paramount+ -- Wilson and Long explained what they see in Maye. It's how Maye reacts when he's not impressing on the field that Wilson and Long are impressed by, saying that his poise and attitude are admirable.

"I love his poise. ... You can't teach poise, that man has it," Long said, emphasizing that the microscope has never been closer on Maye.  

Wilson chimed in, saying Maye's accountability after the game last week was crucial. Even though the Patriots defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-3, Maye admitted they weren't playing as well as they want to be. Wilson and Long agreed that Maye's perspective was notable.

Maye has just one touchdown and four interceptions, half the number of picks he had in the 2025 season, through two games. It's an obvious drop-off from where he was at this point last year.

Wilson doesn't seem to worried about the QB's long-term success, declaring, "I think Drake Maye is a baller."

The now-retired QB defends the Patriots' 2025 schedule, explaining that part of the reason it was easy was because they hadn't won in a while. The team went from 4-13 to AFC champs in one year. While the highs last season were very high, Long reminds everyone that we "aren't that far removed" from when the team was one of the worst teams in the league.

"I throw the schedule stuff out because with that type of team, I don't give a you know what who [they're] playing, winning is hard in this league," Long said.

The schedule gets even more challenging these next two weeks when they play back-to-back road games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills.

"Those two teams could be the best two teams in the AFC," Wilson said of New England's next two opponents. 

New England's next two games will be broadcast on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.