“He just keeps getting better and better.”

While the Patriots spent their Sunday looking at their future at the quarterback position, a look at the opposing sideline offered an example of how bright that future can be when they have the right man under center.

Few quarterback prospects have broken out in the NFL like Texans star CJ Stroud, the No. 2 pick in 2023, who put together one of the best rookie QB seasons in recent memory and led the Texans to a 10-7 record led. Stroud threw for a league-best 273.9 passing yards per game in 2023, the second-best mark in history by a rookie who started multiple games, as Houston made a rapid transition from a 3-13-1 cellar-dweller to one playoff team completed.

Stroud got a front-row seat to Drake Maye's first NFL start, speaking with the 2024 No. 3 pick after Maye threw for 243 yards and three touchdowns in New England's 41-21 loss to Houston.

“Yeah, I gave him a little word, I tried to just give him a little word of encouragement,” Stroud said. “I thought he played really solid and he definitely feels like he's getting better as time goes on.

“I told him how much I believed in him and hoped he did well in this league.”

Stroud had high praise for Maye ahead of the draft in April, calling the North Carolina product the best available QB prospect on the market.

“Look at his tape, just his arm talent jumps out,” Stroud said in the spring. “He's someone who I think the only mistake I made early on was moving around too much. I didn't get the ball out in time. I started taking risks. … If you look at his tape, he scrambles when he needs to, he throws guys open, he has the ability to roll out, different arm angles. I like Drake Maye.”

Maye got off to a rocky start, firing his first pass wide out of bounds and throwing an interception on his third attempt of the afternoon. But after that, the No. 3 calmed down and led an impressive touchdown drive to end the first half, capped by a beautiful throw down the right sideline to Kayshon Boutte for a 40-yard touchdown.

Maye finished the day 20 of 33 for 243 yards and three scores, adding touchdown passes to Hunter Henry and DeMario Douglas, becoming the first Patriots QB in the Super Bowl era to throw three in his first NFL start Throwing touchdowns.

Stroud is exactly the type of success story the Patriots could emulate, as the former Ohio State star already looks like one of the NFL's best quarterbacks leading one of the league's best offenses in his second year. Stroud was asked on Sunday what he wished he knew when he was in Maye's position just over a year ago.

“Honestly, just take closure, stay positive and make the people around you better. I would say those are the three things I want to know,” Stroud said. “It doesn’t happen overnight, it’s not easy and hopefully (Maye) has a team to help him. I did it last year. I had so many people helping me, but these three things, in addition to discipline, just helped me.

“Just be yourself. Everything that got you here will get you where you want to go.”

Amin Touri can be reached at [email protected].