New England Patriots
“I think that’s a long way away. Getting some more wins is what I’m focused on.”
Drake Maye isn’t just playing like a young QB in the midst of the sought-after “second-year leap”.
The 23-year-old Patriots star is looking like a legitimate top-five QB in the game today.
Fresh off of Sunday’s 25-19 win over the Saints, Maye ranks fifth in the NFL in passing yards (1,522) while throwing for 10 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
His 73.2 completion percentage also ranks second in the NFL behind Detroit’s Jared Goff, with Maye’s ascension playing a key part in New England’s 4-2 start to the year.
Given his sizable improvement on the field and his role in elevating a Patriots squad that many thought was destined for another top-10 pick, the case could be made that Maye will garner MVP buzz if his strong play carries into the winter.
But during his latest appearance on “WEEI Afternoons” on Monday, Maye brushed aside talk of his viability as an MVP candidate.
“Oh shoot. No, I’ve got a lot of work to do. I think that’s a long way away. Getting some more wins is what I’m focused on,” Maye said on WEEI. “I think that stuff all comes to life when you start making plays and winning games.”
Despite Maye downplaying his individual accomplishments, he’s already putting himself in elite company with his start to the 2025 season.
According to NFL+, Maye has joined Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino as the only QBs aged 23 or younger who have recorded over 200 pass yards and a 100+ passer rating in five consecutive games.
The Patriots’ own communications account noted on X that Maye joined Tom Brady as the only players in team history to post three or more games with over 200 passing yards, two or more passing TDs & a passer rating of 135 or above in a single season.
Even after throwing for three touchdowns against the Saints in Week 6, Maye could have further padded his stat line in New Orleans had it not been for some questionable officiating — including two calls that wiped out a 61-yard TD from DeMario Douglas and a 52-yard pickup from Stefon Diggs.
“I’m pretty calm with officiating,” Maye said. “I think it’s part of the game. I think I need to maybe give it to the refs a little more on some calls that I don’t agree with. But I think that’s kind of later in my career when you kind of build some notoriety.
So early on in my career, just kind of be nice to the refs and hopefully get to know them and get some calls at the end of the day. But I think those calls yesterday — I didn’t really notice, like, what they were calling and what has happened. My eyes are downfield, so you see them back on the tape afterwards. It’s frustrating, but they have a tough job. I think at some point it becomes a little frustrating, but you try to hold your emotions in.”
For Maye, the main focus is carrying the team’s momentum into Week 7 against the Titans — where a motivated Mike Vrabel will look to twist the knife against his former team.
Despite Vrabel’s history with Tennessee, Maye doesn’t expect to see a different approach or mood from his coach in the build-up to Sunday’s game at Nissan Stadium.
“I think you expect a juiced-up coach every week. He’s always juiced up, and I think that’s the best thing about him,” Maye said of Vrabel. “He’s not going to can change for the opponent … He’s going to stay honest, and wants us to practice hard.”
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