Drake Maye didn’t find too much success during his rookie season with the Patriots, but he had a strong enough campaign to earn a Pro Bowl nod. He threw for over 2,000 yards and tossed 15 touchdowns. One can say he showed solid game knowledge for a rookie; however, it seems that knowledge didn’t extend beyond the field. This led him to ask a silly question to his veteran teammates during the Pro Bowl, leading to a hilarious moment.
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The Pro Bowl has changed its format multiple times over the years. What used to be a weekend of simple skill games and a padded-up pseudo-game with the NFL’s best stars has turned into an unrecognizable weekend of weird games and a flag football contest. But something that hasn’t changed is that players are compensated for their time at the Pro Bowl. That was something Maye didn’t know.
To be fair, he was a late addition to the team and probably wasn’t expecting to participate. But still, the knowledge of the players being paid to be there is common. If they weren’t being paid, why the heck would they be there and not in Cancun?
Maye opened up about this slip-up to Kay Adams on her show Up & Adams. She wanted to know what he had been asking the veteran QBs and what he’d learned. But Maye’s response caught her off guard.
“We were at the skills challenge on Thursday night. Just not very smart of me, but I asked because I didn’t know we get paid to be in the Pro Bowl. I asked, ‘We get paid to come down here?’ So, those guys thought it was a bad question… A nice rookie question for the veteran QBs.”
The response got a hearty laugh out of Adams. She leaned back in her chair, faced skyward, and clapped her hands together repeatedly. She was probably thinking he got some great advice from Russell Wilson about fighting through adversity, or Joe Burrow about commanding a high-powered offense. But no, Maye just asked a dumb question that likely got a few chuckles — and maybe even a scoff — in the locker room.
Rookie QB Drake Maye didn’t know you get paid to play in the Pro Bowl until he got there @DrakeMaye2 @Patriots @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/KZKEbDGurA
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) February 4, 2025
Hopefully, Maye received some real advice from the veteran QBs—like the fact that the pay difference between winning and losing the Pro Bowl is significant. After the new collective bargaining agreement was signed in 2020, it stipulated that players on the winning side of the Pro Bowl games would receive $92K for their efforts, while the losing side would take home a lesser paycheck of $46K. It’s all meant to encourage players to compete on national TV.
There was a time before 2020 when the Pro Bowl was looked at like a joke. And it still kind of is, but the perception has improved in recent years. The ratings aren’t what they used to be, but they’re considerably better than they were nearing the end of the 2010s. It’s sort of become a meaningless game while having a massive impact on player resumes at the ends of their careers.
Any time a new Hall of Fame member is inducted, they announce, “‘X’-time Pro-Bowler.” It means a lot when it comes to the selection process. But with players skipping more than they used to, odd festivities surrounding the game, and a questionable selection process, the event has definitely lost its shine.
Yet, it’s still great that players like Maye are compensated for their efforts. Incentives are always the best way to motivate people to do something. There’s not much more you can do beyond that.
