New England Patriots - NESN.com
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye showed plenty of promise during his 2024 rookie season.
Maye finished the year with 15 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 2,276 passing yards and a 66.6% completion percentage across 13 games (12 starts), good for an 88.1 passer rating. The former third overall pick added 54 carries for 421 yards and two touchdowns, while earning a Pro Bowl nod and finishing eighth in the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.
But a future MVP contender? That might be somewhat of a stretch, even for the most optimistic Patriots fan.
However, NFL.com’s Eric Edholm recently argued that Maye could eventually enter the MVP discussion, under two conditions.
“Maye spent much of his rookie season running for his life, but it didn’t look half bad. The Patriots had plenty of issues during a 4-13 campaign that cost Jerod Mayo his job, but Maye came out of the experience having won over a lot of folks. Now imagine what he could do with what appears to be a far better support system,” Edholm wrote, breaking down an MVP candidate from each AFC team. “Josh McDaniels is back for another run in New England, and he could help bring out the best in Maye, especially in terms of dealing with pressure. Every element of the offense was given a spring cleaning. If the O-line jells and Maye isn’t dodging free rushers every dropback, the 22-year-old absolutely can become an MVP contender — one day.”
It’s important to note that Edholm had to include a representative for each AFC squad and given how much quarterbacks dominate the MVP race every year, it isn’t shocking that he picked Maye.
“Odds are, the 2025 league MVP will be a quarterback. That’s reflected in our team-by-team nominees for the award, with 22 of the 32 players listed being signal-callers. They’re the overwhelming favorites in a lot of cases,” he wrote.
Still, with the likes of Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes still residing in the AFC, the chances of Maye actually winning the hardware anytime soon remain unlikely.
That doesn’t mean that fans in New England can’t be excited to see what 2025 brings for the North Carolina product.
Training camp begins for Maye and the rest of the non-rookie teammates on July 22.
