Expectations were high for Drake Maye going into his second season with the Patriots, with most predicting he would have a big jump in performance after an impressive rookie year. But a majority of analysts still predicted the team wouldn't win double-digit games or make the playoffs, never mind Maye being in the MVP conversation at just 23-years-old.
Yet that's where he is at the end of Week 18, and his performance against the Dolphins on Sunday afternoon only made it more clear that he should be the frontrunner, and there's no reason for the MVP voters to give the award to someone else (aka Matthew Stafford).
Despite the Rams' persistence in allowing their quarterback to stat pad with one of the best offensive lines in the league, along with two top receivers, Davante Adams and Puka Nacua, the 17-year veteran doesn't deserve the MVP for what he has accomplished in his career, especially when Maye has done more with less in 2025.
The Patriots' quarterback proved he's the most valuable player in the league with another standout performance against the Dolphins, which led to him being taken out of the game early.
Drake Maye's 2025 NFL regular season is over. His final stats:
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 4, 2026
- 354/492 (71.9%)
- 4,394 passing yards
- 450 rushing yards
- 35 total TDs
- 8 INTs
- 113.48 passer rating
- 14-3 record pic.twitter.com/h8nSQcUYLF
The problem is that many around the league have downplayed what he's done, so there's little faith from Patriots fans that Maye will actually win.
The NFL will make a massive mistake if Drake Maye isn't named MVP for the 2025 season
While it was not expected for Maye to be in the MVP conversation whatsoever in just his second year, which allowed the NFL to go all-in on making Stafford the frontrunner, they will create a lot of controversy if they continue to overlook the more productive and impressive players just to give the award to the person they wanted to win it from the start of the season.
That was the case during the 2024 season, as QB Lamar Jackson should have won, but the voters had long decided it should be QB Josh Allen, which they inevitably did.
If they do that again this year, when it's blatantly obvious that Maye is the MVP, it will be another blemish on the NFL that Patriots fans will surely not let them forget.
It would be different if it were more of a toss-up between Maye and Stafford, but it's far from that in nearly every statistical measure in Maye's favor. But because he's a Patriots player, it's already expected they'll look the other way.