The New England Patriots bet on quarterback Drake Maye having all the tools needed to turn this franchise around after a few terrible seasons in a row, and he has fulfilled every scintilla of promise he showed by turning New England into a team that is not to be trifled with.
Maye's brilliant 2025 season may end up with him getting some individual accolades, including a Pro Bowl or All-Pro nod as he chases an MVP award. Based on the early results, it looks like the admittedly least prestigious of this trio of accomplishments is as locked in as possible.
After the NFL released the first batch of fan voting tallies for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games, Maye had more votes than anyone else at any position, barely beating out Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Fellow MVP candidate Matthew Stafford barely cracked the top 10, while Maye is rolling the roost.
Patriots QB Drake Maye leading all players in Pro Bowl voting
Maye is leading the NFL in completion percentage (71.5%), passing yards (3,412) and passer rating (111.9) in what is his first full season as the starting quarterback. Josh McDaniels isn't a perfect coach, but he has blended his offense masterfully with Maye's skill set as a quarterback.
Maye has put together such a terrific sophomore season that he has made the race for MVP essentially a two-horse race between himself and Stafford. With Stafford slipping up in a Week 13 loss against the Carolina Panthers, Maye appears to have leapfrogged him in the eyes of many.
Maye isn't just piling up stats on a crappy team. The Patriots have the best record in the NFL, are atop the wide-open AFC with an 11-2 record, and have won 10 straight games for the first time since Tom Brady was in town in 2015. Mike Vrabel has done a masterful job with Maye and the rest of this team.
The Patriots are back to their usual position atop the NFL, and the main reason for that run of good fortune is Maye looking every bit like the franchise-altering quarterback many thought he would be.