Drake Maye
Drake Lee Maye (born August 30, 2002) is an American professional football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he set passing records and won the Shaun Alexander Award as the nation’s top freshman in 2022. Selected third overall in the 2024 NFL draft, Maye earned Pro Bowl honors in each of his first two seasons and led New England to Super Bowl LX at the end of the 2025 campaign.
Early Life and Background
Drake Lee Maye was born on August 30, 2002, in Huntersville, North Carolina. He attended William A. Hough High School in Cornelius before transferring to Myers Park High School in Charlotte, where he played football and basketball. A standout multi-sport athlete, Maye received All-Conference and All-District honors in basketball and was named The Charlotte Observer’s 2019 male athlete of the year after throwing for a school-record 3,512 yards and 50 touchdowns.
As a senior, Maye was selected as an Under Armour All-American in 2020, though he did not play that season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rated a four-star recruit, he originally committed to Alabama in July 2019 before flipping to North Carolina in March 2020. Maye grew up a fan of the Carolina Panthers and attended Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium as a young fan.
Path to Professional Football
Maye arrived at the University of North Carolina in 2021 and appeared in four games as a redshirt freshman behind starter Sam Howell. When Howell departed for the NFL, Maye was named the starting quarterback for the 2022 season. In his debut against Florida A&M, he threw five touchdowns and became the first UNC quarterback to accomplish that feat in his first game.
During the 2022 campaign, Maye led the Tar Heels to the ACC Championship Game and the Holiday Bowl, completing the season as the NCAA leader in total offense with 5,019 yards. He set school records with 4,321 passing yards and 38 passing touchdowns, while also rushing for 698 yards and seven scores. The performance earned him the Shaun Alexander Award, ACC Player of the Year, and ACC Rookie of the Year.
Drake Maye Career
Early Career (2021-2023)
Maye’s development arc at North Carolina included a redshirt year and a record-breaking sophomore season. In 2023, he passed for over 400 yards against Syracuse, Miami, and Campbell University on his way to second-team All-ACC honors, finishing with 3,608 passing yards and 24 touchdowns while adding 449 rushing yards and nine scores.
After the 2023 season, Maye declared for the 2024 NFL draft. He exited UNC ranked fifth in program history in passing yards (8,018) and fourth in passing touchdowns (63), establishing himself as one of the most productive quarterbacks in Tar Heels history.
New England Patriots Breakthrough (2024-Present)
The New England Patriots selected Drake Lee Maye with the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, making him the first Patriot chosen in the top five since Drew Bledsoe in 1993. He signed a four-year, fully guaranteed contract worth $36.64 million on May 28, 2024. Maye began his rookie year as a backup to veteran Jacoby Brissett before taking over as the starter in Week 6.
His first start against the Houston Texans produced three passing touchdowns and 38 rushing yards, making him the first quarterback since at least 1950 to throw three touchdowns and lead his team in rushing in his first NFL start. Maye finished his rookie season with 2,276 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, and was selected to the 2025 Pro Bowl Games as a replacement for Josh Allen. Notably, his first 10 touchdown passes went to 10 different receivers, a feat not accomplished since Steve Ramsey in 1973.
2025 Season and Super Bowl Run
The 2025 season brought a new head coach in Mike Vrabel, who cited Maye as a reason for taking the job, along with the return of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Maye elevated his play, setting a franchise completion-percentage record of 91.3% in a Week 7 win over the Tennessee Titans, surpassing a mark previously held by Tom Brady. In Week 17 against the New York Jets, he completed 90.4% of his passes for 256 yards and a career-high five touchdowns, becoming the first NFL quarterback to complete over 90% of his passes with 250 yards and five touchdowns in a single game.
Maye finished the 2025 regular season with 4,394 passing yards, 31 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, earning second-team All-Pro honors, a second Pro Bowl selection, and the Bert Bell Award. He led the Patriots to their first division title since 2019, and through the postseason guided New England to wins over the Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans, and Denver Broncos to reach Super Bowl LX. Maye completed 27 of 43 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns in the Super Bowl, but threw two interceptions and was sacked six times as the Patriots fell 29-13 to the Seattle Seahawks.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Drake Lee Maye’s signature accomplishments are his 2022 ACC Player of the Year award, his 2025 Bert Bell Award, and his franchise-record 91.3% completion rate against Tennessee. He became the youngest quarterback to lead New England to a Super Bowl appearance since Drew Bledsoe, and his 99.8 QBR in the 2025 Week 17 win marked the highest single-game value in the statistic’s history.
Drake Maye Career Wins
Drake Lee Maye’s career victories span record-setting college seasons and a rapid ascent to an AFC Championship and Super Bowl appearance in the NFL. At North Carolina, he was a conference player of the year and one of the most decorated freshman quarterbacks in program history.
New England Patriots Highlights
Maye’s first NFL win came as a starter in relief during the 2024 season, and his first signature victory was a game-winning drive against the Buffalo Bills in Week 5 of 2025, setting up a 52-yard field goal. He then guided the Patriots to the franchise’s first AFC Championship Game appearance since 2018, culminating in a 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos in snowy conditions to clinch a Super Bowl berth.
Other Wins and Performances
Maye earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week after a Week 13 victory over the New York Giants in 2025, throwing for 282 yards and two touchdowns. He finished second in Associated Press Most Valuable Player voting, receiving 23 first-place votes and 361 total points.
Drake Maye Family
Family Background and Football Lineage
Drake Lee Maye is the youngest of four brothers, all of whom played college sports. Brothers Luke and Beau played basketball at North Carolina, with Luke hitting a buzzer-beater in the 2017 Elite Eight en route to a national championship. Another brother, Cole, was a pitcher for the Florida Gators baseball team that won the 2017 College World Series. His father, Mark Maye, played quarterback at North Carolina in the 1980s and briefly with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks.
Personal Life
On June 22, 2025, Drake Lee Maye married Ann Michael Hudson, his partner since 2015. The couple attended North Carolina together, where Hudson’s younger brother Tad served as one of Maye’s backup quarterbacks in 2023. Maye is a Christian and has spoken about using his platform to share his faith.
2025 Season Performance
Drake Lee Maye’s 2025 season represented a remarkable leap in his second professional year. Operating under new head coach Mike Vrabel and returning offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Maye posted career highs in passing yards (4,394), touchdowns (31), and completion percentage (69.8%), while leading the NFL in both passer rating and completion percentage. He earned second-team All-Pro honors and was selected to the Pro Bowl on the initial ballot for the first time.
Beyond the regular season, Maye excelled in the postseason, completing 50 of 77 passes for 533 yards with four touchdowns across three playoff games. He led game-winning drives against the Titans, Broncos, and Chargers, and his late-season surge propelled the Patriots to their first division title since 2019 and first Super Bowl appearance since 2018.
