NFL Insider Speculates on Patriots' Drake Maye Extension After Baker Mayfield Deal

The New England Patriots have a potential superstar on their hands with quarterback Drake Maye.

Maye led the team to the Super Bowl last season, fully showing what he could do in this league. While the Patriots did fall short in the big game, Maye's emergence has made New England true title contenders every season.

Last year, Maye threw for 4,394 yards with 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Due to his performance, there has been talk about an extension for the young player.

The signal-caller will be making $9.9 million this season, and he is on the books for $11.9 million next season. But this will be the end of his rookie contract, meaning that a new deal will be coming soon.

After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and quarterback Baker Mayfield agreed to a three-year, $165 million contract extension, which will pay him $55 million a season, there has been speculation about which players would be nice. NFL Network analyst Taylor Bisciotti mentioned Maye as an option, giving thought to a new deal.

Maye will be eligible for an extension with the Patriots after this coming season, and they will surely pay him. The main question is how much he will get from New England when the time comes.

If Maye were to play well again this coming season, he could put his name in a place as one of the top-paid quarterbacks in the league. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the highest-paid in the NFL, earning an average of $64 million a year.

But multiple guys are making the same $55 million as Mayfield. Maye could finish around this number, potentially going even higher.

Given how important that Maye is to the Patriots, New England would likely jump at the chance to pay him what he deserves. But the team also should be trying to take advantage while Maye is still on his rookie-scale deal.

With Maye making under $10 million this year, and just slightly over next season, the Patriots have a short time window to capitalize. This allows New England to build out the rest of the roster strongly, not being cap crunched from his salary.

Since a new extension should be coming down the line for Maye, the Patriots will be pressed to win the title in the next two years. And given how the team played last season, they should be very good again this time around.