Reportedly throwing shade? Patriots QB Drake Maye says he has never met Chargers QB Justin Herbert

Sports media personality and NFL news aggregator Dov Kleiman shared a recent clip of New England Patriots star quarterback Drake Maye.The 23-year-old can be heard saying, “I don’t know if I’ve met Justin [Herbert]. I don’t think I have. I know him through people and have heard great things. I love his game. I love the way he throws football. Throws at a really high level. He can make plays on the move, throw, make plays off platform, and launch it.And I think just the way he holds himself and cares about his teammates and is really about the team and not about himself, and I’ve a lot of respect for Justin. And how he plays a game and plays at a really high level.” Now, Kleiman’s caption is what makes Maye’s praise for Herbert an interesting clip: “Strange: Patriots star QB Drake Maye says he has never met Chargers QB Justin Herbert...“I don’t know if I’ve met Justin… I know him through people and heard great things. Obviously, I love his game.” Maye played against Herbert last season and met him afterward. 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫.”In the 2024 season, the Los Angeles Chargers had a strong chance to reach the postseason by beating the New England Patriots in a crucial Week 17 matchup. The Patriots had 3 wins and 13 losses, while the Chargers had 10 wins and 6 losses.At that time, Maye spoke highly of Chargers signal caller at a press conference. He also compared himself to Madison Beer’s boyfriend Justin Herbert. How can someone compare themselves to a person they have never met? Anyway, let’s find out what he said.“First off, he seems like a great leader,” Maye said via Karen Guregian of MassLive.com. “You see that, and you see a bit of the same personality as me, more quiet and earn the guy’s respect. You see him coming out more and more, especially with the things you see at the Chargers.He means a lot to that offense. You can see what he does, making plays with his feet, but I think the biggest thing is he’s just consistent. He doesn’t turn the ball over, and he just does a good job of moving the football and finding ways to win.” After winning against New England in Week 17 of the 2024 season, Herbert praised Maye. “He’s obviously very talented,” Herbert said via Keagan Stiefel of NESN. “He’s an incredible quarterback, and I’m going to enjoy watching him for years to come.”He also shared advice for rookie Drake Maye. “I would say it’s always the next play mentality,” Herbert said. “My rookie year, we struggled. It was tough. It made me who I am today. As long as you’re playing the next play, it’s all about that.Whether I throw an incompletion or an interception, I can’t let the last play affect the next one. The guys in the locker room and in the huddle require my best effort. As long as I do that, I can hold my head up high.”The constant comparisons could have led Maye to say he hadn’t met Herbert before. Why reportedly throw shade? Before the first postseason match, nerves are high, news is fresh, and pressure mounts for the final goal. At this moment, saying things like, “I don’t know if I’ve met him,” may leave a hole in someone’s mind, or it may not. Only time will tell.The Patriots are scheduled to face the Chargers in the first playoff match of the 2025 season, the NFL Wild Card Round, on Sunday, January 11, at 8 PM ET at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. New England holds the No. 2 seed and Los Angeles the No. 7 seed. Who will win? We can't wait to find out!Also Read: Drake Maye’s wife Ann Michael takes a break from Bakemas, stepping out in a leopard-print mini dress and black knee-high boots