Jan 16, 2026 - Sports

Hometown hero Drake Maye shines on the world stage

Katie Peralta Soloff

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye — New England quarterback Drake Maye has completed 72% of his passes this season. Photo: Michael Owens/Getty Images

North Carolina native son Drake Maye is dazzling in his sophomore season in the NFL, garnering comparisons to Tom Brady and launching the 23-year-old into serious MVP consideration.

Why it matters: Local pride for Maye extends from the Charlotte region, where he grew up and emerged as a star on Myers Park's football team, to Chapel Hill, where he set school records at UNC and was named ACC Player of the Year.

The Patriots quarterback has been instrumental in New England's turnaround from a "4-13 disaster to a 14-3 powerhouse," as The Athletic noted.

Driving the news: On Sunday at 3pm, the Patriots, first in the AFC West, will host the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs.

By the numbers: In the regular season, Maye threw for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns, with only eight interceptions. His 72.0% completion rate is the sixth-best regular-season percentage in NFL history.

It's also one of the several metrics in which he outperformed in his second year, compared with Brady, the former Patriots great who is largely considered the greatest quarterback of all time, as the Boston Globe noted in a recent in-depth comparison of the two players.

What they're saying: "He's been everything that we've asked and he continues to get better. He's not satisfied," New England head coach Mike Vrabel said, according to the Athletic. "I know that our success ... has a lot to do with Drake Maye."

What's next: The NFL MVP will be announced at the annual NFL Honors ceremony before the Super Bowl, which is next month outside San Francisco.

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Hometown hero Drake Maye shines on the world stage

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