2025 stats: 354-for-492 passing, 72.0 completion percentage*, 4394 passing yards, 31 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 258.5 passing yards per game, 113.5 passer rating*
Drake Maye was the bright spot in an otherwise dismal 2024 Patriots season, so much so that the promise the quarterback showed in his rookie season helped convince Mike Vrabel to return to New England as its head coach. In Year 2, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft has exceeded the hype. Maye fully blossomed into an elite NFL quarterback, taking on the burden of becoming the face of the franchise that once employed Tom Brady and making it look effortless en route to a 14-3 regular season, an AFC East title and a return to the Super Bowl.
As long as Brady’s shadow is, though, Maye’s very much his own person and player, whether it’s his combination of deep-ball accuracy, with a league-best 8.90 yards per attempt and 9.46 air yards per attempt or his dual-threat ability, with 450 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.
Maye’s breakout year on an individual and team level had him neck-and-neck with Stafford on MVP odds boards for most of the back half of the regular season, and even if he loses that battle this year, it would be a mild shock if this is the only time we see the 23-year-old become a finalist for this award.
*led NFL