NFL Analyst Rants Over Drake Maye-Justin Herbert Rankings

The NFL quarterback rankings have rolled out all over the internet, and analysts have made their points.

One analyst, FS1's Nick Wright, went a little extra bold on “First Things First” regarding the rankings of Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert and New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. Wright strongly disagrees with Herbert ranking No. 7 and Maye ranking No. 8 in ESPN's recent rankings.

"It is outrageous to have him ahead of Maye. Herbert is literally one of the worst playoff quarterbacks ever," Wright said. "We'll see if that changes. They're 0-3. They score fifteen points per game. He has two touchdowns, a 65 rating, and five turnovers."

After all, the quarterbacks' teams went head-to-head in the AFC Wild Card; the Patriots beat the Chargers 16-3. Maye had the better game head-to-head that night, too, and he went on to the Super Bowl while Herbert has yet to win a postseason game, to Wright's point.

Maye went 17-29 with 268 yards and a touchdown versus an interception, and he rushed for 66 yards on 10 attempts that night. Herbert passed 19-31 for 159 yards, and he took six sacks and rushed for 57 yards on 10 carries.

Maye was a leading MVP candidate in Year Two of his career, and Herbert led a resurgent Chargers team to the playoffs. Herbert has a broader body of success compared to Maye, but Maye's immediate rise dwarfs what Herbert has achieved.

Herbert, however, has done it without big-name wide receivers throughout his career. Maye got a boost with Stefon Diggs last season, and the Patriots brought Maye A.J. Brown this year via a trade.

That's not to say that Herbert couldn't surpass Maye this year, but the odds are stacked in Maye's favor - even with a tougher schedule. The Chargers play in a brutal AFC West, and the front office didn't upgrade the offensive line enough to do a better job of protecting Herbert.

Expect Maye to pass Herbert in next year's quarterback rankings.

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This story was originally published July 15, 2026 at 10:31 PM.