Patriots QB Drake Maye wins unexpected honor from PFWA

Story by

Story by
Patriots QB Drake Maye wins unexpected honor from PFWA

Chris Mason · MassLive

Fri, Jan 23, 2026 ·

2 min read

About Our Ads

While most of the awards conversation surrounding Drake Maye has been about the AP’s MVP prize, the Professional Football Writers of America have given the Patriots quarterback an unexpected honor.

Maye won the PFWA’s “Most Improved Player” award for 2025. The quarterback took a massive leap in his second season.

As a rookie, Maye appeared in 13 games, completing 66.6% of his passes for 2,276 yards with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. There were flashes of brilliance, but Maye was far from a finished product.

In Year 2, Maye emerged as a bonafide MVP candidate, leading the league in completion percentage (72%), yards per attempt (8.9), QBR (77.1) and passer rating (113.5). Maye threw for 4,394 yards with 31 touchdowns and 8 interceptions and piloted the Patriots to a stunning 14-3 regular season.

Maye will have his biggest test to date in Denver on Sunday afternoon, as the Patriots will enter a hostile environment with the AFC Championship on the line.

Asked what he expected from Maye at Mile High, coach Mike Vrabel was hoping to just see more of the same from his 23-year-old quarterback.

“Lead our offense,” Vrabel said. “Be the conductor. Help us handle the environment. Find as many positive plays as you can. Take care of the football. Own the operation. Then you’re going to have to make some big time throws. That’s just kind of how this thing goes.

“No different than what we’ve expected of him the entire season and how he’s produced. It’s great to see some not-so-positive plays that don’t affect some things that have to happen later in the game for us to succeed.”

More Patriots Content