The New England Patriots have truly found their next franchise QB. Since Tom Brady's departure after the 2019 season, the position has been a carousel in New England, but Drake Maye's MVP candidacy in his sophomore season shows just how much he's grown from his rookie season.
With being great comes hate, and Maye's doubters have started to become more prominent.
For anyone who's watched a Patriots game this season, they know why Maye has an MVP case. His 72% completion rate is the highest in team history, and he threw for just shy of 4,400 yards, leading New England to a 14-3 record. He totaled 35 touchdowns to eight interceptions and had 450 yards on the ground, all while leading the second-best offense in the NFL.
New England averaged 32.3 PPG against divisional opponents this season, winning the AFC East and clinching the No. 2 seed with a 38-10 win over the Dolphins on Sunday. Maye is, without a doubt, one of the best signal callers in football, and has as good an MVP case as anyone.
While not a reliable gauge of a player's performance, Madden 26 has reflected Maye's elite play, awarding him with a 94 overall rating. Maye's completion rate is further reflected in his ratings, with a 96 in short accuracy.
His medium throw accuracy is a 90, while his throw on the run is a more than respectable 85. His improvement this season has been steep, and that's reflected in his rating, which climbed from 78 in the preseason.
#Patriots QB Drake Maye was rated a 78 overall when Madden launched in August 2025.
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) January 2, 2026
Today, Maye is a 94 overall and he has cemented himself as one of the top QBs in the game (and in the NFL).
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(📸 @EAMaddenNFL) pic.twitter.com/PT2suplzKh
Drake Maye thought to have too high a Madden rating by opposing fans
Opposing fans criticizing Maye's Madden rating is for the same reasons New England has doubters ahead of their playoff run: the team's less-than-elite schedule. New England has a strength of schedule of .391, the only team with a sub-0.4 metric. Denver's .422-rated schedule is the second easiest, while Dallas's .438 is next.
New England no doubt had an advantage over other teams with their last-place schedule, but Maye's play cannot be discounted for something he cannot control.
The former Tarheel is the 36th-best player in the game, the second-highest-rated Patriot (Christian Gonzalez, 96), and the fourth-highest-rated quarterback. Josh Allen (99), Matthew Stafford (98), and Joe Burrow (96) are the only players rated higher. Lamar Jackson (93), Patrick Mahomes (92), and Dak Prescott (91) follow Maye as the next three highest-rated QBs.
Compared to players from his 2024 draft class, Maye is the highest rated. Caleb Williams and Bo Nix each come in as 82 overalls, while Jayden Daniels is an 80. Michael Penix is 72, and J.J. McCarthy is 71. While New England had the opportunity to take any of Nix, Penix, or McCarthy, Madden clearly believes they've made the right decision. I'd agree.
As far as other stars from his draft class go, Brock Bowers (93) and Malik Nabers (86) have had excellent starts to their careers. 2024 DROY Jared Verse comes in at an 87, and Joe Alt is an 85.
Maye is head and shoulders above the rest of his draft class by Madden's metrics. He's the highest rated in his class, 12 overall ratings higher than the next closest quarterback, and one of only two players to already eclipse a 90 rating. Concerns about New England's schedule have some validity, but Maye has performed exactly as he should against inferior competition.