Drake Maye’s rise has gone from promising to undeniable, and now the league itself has stamped it.
After a rookie year that looked better on film than it did in the box score, the New England Patriots quarterback was expected to take a step in 2025. What he delivered was something much bigger. At 23, Maye put together a season that had him nearly winning MVP and pushed New England all the way to the Super Bowl after the team missed the playoffs in 2024.
That jump is now reflected in the NFL Top 100, where Maye landed at No. 11, as voted on by players across the league. It’s a clear sign of how far his reputation has climbed in a short time. Only 10 players were ranked ahead of him heading into the 2026 season.
Maye’s 2025 numbers tell the story of a quarterback operating at a high level almost everywhere you looked: a 14-3 record, a league-best 72 percent completion percentage, 4,394 passing yards, 31 touchdowns, eight interceptions, and a league-leading 113.5 passer rating along with a 77.1 QBR.
It wasn’t flawless. He was sacked 47 times, and his playoff play wasn’t at the same level. But even with those blemishes, Maye and the Patriots blew past expectations and turned a non-playoff team into a Super Bowl contender.
There’s a fair argument that the schedule helped, and there’s also no doubt that Maye will be judged on how he handles tougher opponents going forward. Even so, the production was real, and the only quarterback clearly ahead of him last season was one player.
New England now has even more reason to believe this is the start of something lasting. Heading into 2026, Maye will have AJ Brown and Romeo Doubs added to the offense, an upgraded line with Caleb Lomu and Alijah Vera-Tucker, and Josh McDaniels still steering the scheme.
With several of the AFC’s top quarterbacks moving into their 30s, the Patriots may have a long runway in front of them. And if the league’s own players are any indication, they already see Maye as one of the game’s elite.
A No. 11 ranking is no small thing. It’s more confirmation that New England has a superstar at quarterback.
In Other News...
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At 36, Van Roten is being brought in for more than just insurance, even if that is the immediate need after injuries to Ben Brown and Andrew Rupcich. The structure of the contract suggests New England sees a useful stopgap now, with some upside if he handles a bigger role than expected, and that is a pretty direct message about how the Patriots want the offensive line handled heading into the season. [Read more 🡒]
Drake Maye Is Already Saying What Patriots Fans Need To Hear
Drake Maye spent part of the week around the Eagles, and the interaction gave the Patriots a useful glimpse into how their young quarterback is approaching the next stage of his development. After joint practices, Maye spoke with clear admiration for Jalen Hurts, pointing to Hurts work ethic and the path he has carved out in the league. He also noted how close the two came to overlapping at Alabama, a small detail that underscored just how long Maye has been tracking the kind of quarterback standard he wants to reach.
For New England, the bigger takeaway is less about the comparison itself and more about where Mayes head is as he heads into his third NFL season. He has been candid about focusing on the mental side of his game, and that matters for a team still trying to stabilize the most important position on the field. Hurts rise, resilience and Super Bowl-level success offer a clear model, and Maye seems intent on learning from it while continuing to build his own path. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Face A New Doubt About Mike Vrabel And Drake Maye
The conversation around Mike Vrabels first months in New England has taken on another layer, this one coming from the media rather than the field. Colin Cowherd weighed in on the reported affair allegation involving Vrabel and NFL reporter Dianna Russini, separating the ethics question from the morals debate while using the moment to revisit how the Patriots are viewed heading into the season.
Cowherd was skeptical that New England can simply roll last years success forward and suggested the team looks more like a wild-card outfit than a Super Bowl contender. Even so, he had high regard for the Vrabel-Drake Maye partnership, ranking it among the leagues better coach-quarterback pairings and putting it sixth overall, which is part of what makes the Patriots next step such an intriguing one. [Read more 🡒]