We need to talk about New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.

Do I think he’s going to win NFL MVP this season? Probably not. The smart money says it ends up with Rams QB Matthew Stafford, and not just because of the numbers. This feels like one of those legacy MVPs. A tip of the cap to a 37-year-old, Canton-bound vet who’s still slinging it at a high level.

But strip the nostalgia out of it. Take the nameplates off the jerseys. If we’re talking pure value, impact, and expectations versus reality, Maye should be the guy.

No player has meant more to his team’s success this season. Period. Not just in raw production, but in how much he’s elevated the floor, the ceiling, and everything in between. This wasn’t a loaded roster waiting on a quarterback. This was a team that needed a lifeline, and Maye showed up playing QB1 football from the jump.

All respect to the vets. But if MVP actually means most valuable, Maye has been carrying the biggest load in the league, and it really isn’t close.

Maye vs Matthew Stafford MVP Case Breakdown

Before he tossed on the comically oversized quarterback jacket and clocked out early, Maye went 19-of-21 for 256 yards and five touchdowns. That was before the Patriots even finished their first drive of the second half. Ballgame. His work powered a 42–10 curb-stomping of the New York Jets, and it was the cleanest snapshot yet of why this dude belongs at the front of the MVP conversation.

That point got even louder when Chad Graff of The Athletic dropped a side-by-side MVP stat comparison between Maye and Matthew Stafford on X.

Comparing the seasons of Matthew Stafford, Drake Maye, and the average MVP.

Via @SandoNFL's pick-6 column here: https://t.co/aoGNh5uMay pic.twitter.com/7mbOo8SWQx

— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) December 29, 2025

Line them up, and the numbers quietly favor Maye. He’s more explosive snap to snap, averaging 8.9 yards per attempt to Stafford’s 8.1, and owns the higher passer rating at 112.9. Dig deeper, and it gets even clearer. Maye’s EPA per pass play sits at 0.27, right in line with historical MVPs and ahead of Stafford, showing this isn’t empty volume. It’s consistent, winning football.

Then there’s the cheat code. Mobility. Maye has 409 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns, forcing defenses to play 11-on-11 every snap. Stafford has been sharp, no doubt, but he’s not warping coverages with his legs. In today’s NFL, that matters. A lot.

And the history lesson keeps stacking up. Maye became just the third quarterback in Patriots history to throw for 4,000 yards, joining Tom Brady and Drew Bledsoe. He also threw four first-half touchdowns, something New England hadn’t seen since Brady lit up the Chicago Bears back in 2014. Only difference? Maye added a fifth, just for fun.

And here’s the mic-drop stat. Maye is the only quarterback in the league to complete over 90 percent of his passes while throwing for at least 250 yards and five touchdowns in a game. Only one. In the entire league. Patrick Mahomes might want to heal up quick, because there’s another GOAT trajectory forming in Foxborough.

Yes, plenty of people deserve credit for the Patriots’ rise. Coaches, defense, complementary football. All of it matters. But nobody, anywhere, is more responsible for their team’s on-field success than Maye has been for New England’s surge.

So keep the M-V-P chants loud. He’s earned them. He deserves the hardware. And maybe, just maybe, the people handing out the votes are finally listening.