Our Newest Co-Worker Jon Gruden Calls Drake Maye 'a Superstar'

It's an overused cliche to be sure, but that doesn't make it any less valid to say, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." Well I think it's fair to say that less than 24 hours after Barstool's new hire walked through the door, he's already locked up Rookie of the Year honors.

Speaking personally, he's certainly won me over. Not that he had to do burn a lot of calories to do so. I've always been a Big Gruden guy. As a coach. A TV analyst. A coach again. Someone who also found himself on the pointy end of the pitchfork during one of the NFL's witch hunts, which I wrote about 2 1/2 years ago:

But if you really want to win hearts and minds - OK, my heart and my mind - all it really takes is to agree with me on some major issue. Validate my opinion on something that's important to me, and I'm ready to go do karate in the garage:

A couple of days ago, I said this:

Day One on the job, probably before he'd even filled out his W-2 or figured out which bathroom is the cleanest, Gruden was asked, "Who do you like better, Caleb Williams or Drake Maye?" And the question wasn't even finished before he said everything I need to hear right now:

Oh, heck yeah. That's what these Old Balls like. Bourbon for the Patriots fan's soul. Coming not from some witty, debonair Silver Fox Masshole, but from the man who's an expert in the science and art of quarterbacking. Who turned a 34 year old Rich Gannon into a Pro Bowler and future MVP. Then went to Tampa Bay and immediately won a Super Bowl with a 34 year old Brad farking Johnson. And in his second career go-round, coached Derek Carr to the first 100.0-plus passer ratings of his career. So when Gruden sees 5-star superstardom in Drake Maye's future, you'd have to be brain dead to disagree.

Allow me to offer you proof. While I know the noob isn't into analytics at all:

... some numbers speak for themselves. And graph says a thousand words:

Maye is on a team that has a rookie head coach. An offensive coordinator who hasn't actually offensive coordinated in 15 seasons. Has had a constant shuffling of bodies along what was already a paper-thin offensive line. And a wide receiver depth chart filled to the rim with first-, second- and third-year players. And yet when things a given play inevitably go all pear-shaped, he's proven to be the best in the league at turning it into a positive play. Which is something we haven't seen around here in the decade of the 2020s.

Now imagine what it will be like when his young team has had time to play together. When they've added pieces along the O-line in the draft. And spent some of the motherlode of cap space available to them on the skill positions. Most of all, when Maye has climbed further up his learning curve. There's no lie in Gruden's words, just like there was no hesitation in his answer. And he's saying exactly what these ears need to hear.

Drake Maye and Jon Gruden: The two best additions of 2024. To Boston sports, to Barstool, and to my life. Cheers.