Getting compared to a three-time Super Bowl champion like the legendary Troy Aikman is usually the kind of thing a young quarterback dreams about. But for New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, the comparison former Cowboys star Michael Irvin made on Sunday probably wasn’t the one he wanted to hear.

The Cowboys legend drew a parallel between Maye and Troy Aikman during the Patriots’ rain-soaked matchup against the Buccaneers, but it had nothing to do with winning. After a sluggish start that saw Maye complete just 2 of his first 7 passes for 19 yards, Irvin took to social media with a jab.

“WOW,,, @DrakeMaye2 suffers from that  @TroyAikman disease 😳😳 😳. Can you stand the rain!!” he wrote on his X account, pointing that Maye is not good at wet conditions.

Anyone who watched Aikman’s career knows exactly what Irvin was getting at. Aikman wasn’t a bad quarterback in the rain, but he never liked playing in it. And he has never really been shy about admitting his pet peeve.

“Anyone who played with the Cowboys with me knew that I just simply could not throw a wet football. I would hear rain in the forecast on game day and I would be in cold sweats throughout the night,” Aikman said last year.

Troy Aikman’s throwing style stands out from most quarterbacks. Instead of gripping the ball by its laces, he holds it by the nose, keeping his fingers only on the leather while the laces sit buried in his palm. It’s a rare technique that defines his unique way of controlling the football. However, in wet conditions, the Hall of Famer couldn’t grip the ball easily.

Funny enough, it didn’t take Maye long to shake off that Aikman comparison. On his very next drive, he hit Kyle Williams on a short route that turned into a 72-yard touchdown, tying the game at 7–7 and silencing the chatter.

By the end of the day, Maye had 270 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, posting an 89.4 passer rating and adding seven carries for 13 yards. It wasn’t his cleanest outing compared to the high standard he’s set for himself this season, but it got him and the Patriots another win, 28-23.

And most importantly, it kept him squarely in the conversation for MVP, where he’s quietly built a case over the last month. But in a season with so many potential MVPs, how likely is Drake Maye to snatch the award?

Drake Maye’s MVP case

Even on the road, Patriots fans made their presence felt Sunday. As Drake Maye walked off the field after another hard-fought win, the MVP chants followed him. With the victory, New England now sits comfortably atop the AFC East, while the Bills’ loss to Miami only widened the gap. Still, the sophomore quarterback didn’t think the chants were directed at him.

“They may be for (Baker Mayfield). Baker played his b–t off. Big fan of Baker’s game, and they’re a good football team. We travel well. That’s the Patriots. That’s us, we’re going to travel every week,” Maye said to CBS.

To be fair, Mayfield did earn his share of respect. He threw for 273 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. That’s been the story across the league this season: exceptional quarterback play, week in and week out. Between Maye, Mayfield, Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, and even running back Jonathan Taylor, the race for the MVP feels wide open.

Still, it’s too early to crown anyone. The regular-season numbers only matter so much. The MVP tends to reveal itself in January when the margins shrink. It’s equally contingent upon having a team that can reach the Super Bowl. So far, the Patriots look exactly like a team that’s capable of going all the way.