Drake Maye was the NFL MVP runner-up in Year 2 of his promising career. Now, the New England Patriots quarterback has one of the league’s top wide receivers on his side.
The Patriots added an elite weapon to their offense by acquiring star WR A.J. Brown in a blockbuster deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. If Brown stays healthy and plays to his potential, Maye could put up even better numbers than he did in his MVP-caliber 2025 campaign.
Just how good could Maye become in Year 3? NBC Sports Boston’s Patriots insiders Phil Perry and Tom E. Curran believe the sky is the limit for the 23-year-old signal-caller.
“I think if you see a season that closely approximates what he did last year, even if the numbers take a little bit of a dip from last year to this year, we’re going to be talking about him as being in that category with the (Josh) Allens and (Patrick) Mahomes’, (Lamar) Jacksons, and (Joe) Burrows. I think he has that kind of potential, he has that kind of skill set,” Perry said on Wednesday’s Early Edition.
“Now what you’ve done is, you’ve improved the situation around him. … You’ve given him just about everything. He has it all. And he has the skill set to elevate the guys around him to make him even better. So, I don’t know if the stats will be the same, but he’s gonna be a better quarterback. I think there’s an opportunity here to do some special things here in 2026.”
Not only does Curran believe Maye could join the upper echelon of NFL QBs, but he thinks there’s a chance the North Carolina product overtakes some of the league’s best in 2026.
“I think he can become the second-best quarterback in the league,” Curran said. “Lamar Jackson still is in a situation where I just don’t love his wide receiver crew. Joe Burrow continually has a defense that needs to be weighed against what his team is able to do, which hurts him. … Justin Herbert’s not as good, Caleb Williams is less disciplined on a down-to-down (basis), though a spectacular player.
“I think that Maye could move in comfortably behind Josh Allen.”
As a strong-armed QB with the ability to make plays with his legs, Maye has drawn comparisons to Allen since his UNC days. The No. 3 overall draft pick put his dual-threat talent on display last season, completing 72 percent of his passes for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns while rushing for 450 yards and four TDs. He led the league with +62.6 Expected Points Added (EPA) on deep throws.
Maye will need to have a similar season to join the Allen/Mahomes/Jackson/Burrow conversation. With Brown and free-agent signing Romeo Doubs now in the fold, plus a full season in Josh McDaniels’ offense under his belt, there’s no reason why he can’t put himself in that top tier.
Watch Perry and Curran’s Early Edition segment in the video player above.
