Patriots: Drake Maye is Now in the Driving Seat for the League MVP Honor

Drake Maye delivered a near-flawless performance in Week 17 against the Jets, strengthening his case for NFL MVP. He threw five touchdown passes before being pulled midway through the third quarter, finishing 19-of-21 for 256 yards with just two incompletions. Maye also extended drives with his legs, converting key third downs, as the Patriots cruised to a 42–10 win and improved to 13–3 while clinching the AFC East.

Beyond the box score, Maye’s season-long efficiency underscores his MVP credentials. He currently leads all qualified quarterbacks in completion percentage, yards per attempt, and passer rating, pairing elite accuracy with aggressive downfield production. Against New York, he became the first quarterback in NFL history to complete more than 90 percent of his passes while throwing for at least 250 yards and five touchdowns in a single game, a truly unprecedented statistical feat.

The performance was emblematic of a larger trend. Maye has now posted seven games this season with at least 75 percent completions, 200 passing yards, and two touchdowns, a mark matched only by Tom Brady during the Patriots’ historic 2007 season, which ended with Brady winning league MVP. At just 23 years old, Maye’s combination of volume, efficiency, and consistency places him in rare historical company.

On the season, Maye has thrown 30 touchdowns against only eight interceptions, putting him on pace to become just the second quarterback under age 25 to reach 30-plus touchdown passes with fewer than 10 interceptions. The only other player to accomplish that feat was Lamar Jackson during his 2019 MVP season, further reinforcing that Maye’s 2025 campaign belongs squarely in the MVP conversation.

His strong competitor, Los Angeles Rams Quarterback, Matthew Stafford struggled against a mediocre Atlanta Falcons team on Monday Night Football, which resulted in Drake Maye overtaking his veteran counterpart. Sophomore Drake Maye is now in the driving seat and realistically only needs to avoid a complete disaster against Miami in the season finale to win his first MVP honor. Truly impressive from the young QB who has cemented himself as one of the league's elite for the years to come.