One thing that eventuates when you get to a Super Bowl is that your team won't be slept on the next season. You'll be in the NFL's crosshairs and will have a far tougher schedule to face than the previous year, like the New England Patriots.
Fortunately, if you've made it all the way through the NFL's playoff gauntlet to the final game, it almost certainly means you have a top quarterback who took you there. With the Patriots, that's exactly the case. They have MVP-candidate Drake Maye.
Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon named five under-the-radar MVP candidates in 2025. One who, unsurprisingly, wasn't on his list is the Patriots' third-year quarterback. Maye lost the 2025 MVP by one vote.
It was a clear demonstration of the fickleness of voters who took a sentimental choice, long-time veteran Matthew Stafford, over the more deserving candidate, Maye.
Drake Maye will be a strong contender for the NFL MVP award in 2026
Gagnon's list of under-the-radar candidates for the 2026 MVP awards excludes the obvious candidates, one of whom is Maye. That's no surprise whatsoever.
"The early DraftKings odds appear to indicate the 2026 NFL MVP race might come down to Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, which makes sense considering they are perennial contenders for the award. Also in the mix? Two-time winner Patrick Mahomes, reigning MVP Matthew Stafford, 2025 runner-up Drake Maye, and popular frequent candidates Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow and Dak Prescott.
They are joined by Caleb Williams and Jordan Love as the only players with odds of +1500 or better, per DraftKings on June 19. The rest of the league is at +2000 or worse, which makes anyone else a definitive underdog. "
Maye rose to the occasion in 2025 with a porous offensive line that surrendered 47 sacks, and numerous hits, hurries, and pressures of the young quarterback. In comparison, the MVP, Stafford, was sacked less than half of that with only 23 sacks allowed by his offensive line.
That startling disparity failed to register with some myopic NFL MVP voters and cost the second-year quarterback the award he rightly deserved.
Despite the sacks and the rest, the young passer shrugged off all that clatter and still amassed an almost inconceivable passing season. The highlight had to be his 72% completion rate despite the lack of clean pockets.
The MVP Stafford countered with a 65% completion rate, a full seven points fewer than Maye, despite a far better offensive line and receiving corps.
Only a shoulder injury in the playoffs, caused by one of those hits he absorbed, kept the young superstar from winning the Super Bowl. Whether the Patriots did enough this offseason to improve their O-line is debatable.
The Patriots will likely enter the 2026 season with a healthy quarterback, a healthy left tackle, Will Campbell, and a greatly improved receiving corps with A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs on board. Yet, the overarching question remains whether the O-line can reduce the sacks, hits, and pressures allowed, and give Drake Maye clean pockets from which to pass.
If they can, expect him to cart away the 2026 MVP award. But it's his offensive line that will determine this. It always is.
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