Which young quarterback would NFL executives and coaches prefer to build a team around: Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams or New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye?
Following last week's incredible primetime Thursday night game between the Bears and Patriots, NFL insider Albert Breer shot out a text asking that question to six general managers, five offensive coordinators, four assistant general managers, one vice president of player personnel and a passing game coordinator.
Who did they vote for?
Well, according to Breer, Williams got 12 votes, and Maye got five votes from the small sample-sized poll. However, both quarterbacks are viewed highly, with most believing they are the best quarterbacks to come out of college in the last six years.
One assistant general manager's reasoning for picking Williams is that he can still find ways to beat the perfect defensive call, like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. However, one offensive coordinator preferred Maye's pocket capabilities, combined with the athleticism, over Williams.
So far, Maye has had the more productive career of the two. He was the runner-up for the 2025 NFL MVP, and he helped lead the Patriots to a Super Bowl. Williams is currently putting together an MVP-caliber season, and the Bears look primed to contend in the NFC for a second straight year.
Perhaps Maye and Williams are this generation's Mahomes and Allen—or maybe even Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. They aren't in the same conference like the other rivals, but their careers will forever be interwined with the 2024 NFL Draft class.
And someday, we can all look back to see if these anonymous executives and coaches would have gotten it right or wrong.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: NFL execs pick between Drake Maye and Caleb Williams in impromptu poll