Patriots Mike Vrabel Honors Drake Maye with Special Game Ball

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has never been one to rest on his laurels. However, as the “MVP” chants rang throughout MetLife Stadium in the waning moments of their 42-10 victory over over the New York Jets in Week 17, the 23-year-old cold not help but realize the breadth of his performance.

If there were any holdouts in giving the Pats’ starter some strong consideration for NFL MVP this season, Maye eradicated them by compiling 256 passing yards and five passing touchdowns — each to a difference target — while completing 90.5% of his passes. In doing so, Maye became the first player in NFL history to have multiple games in a season with 200-plus passing yards, two-plus passing touchdowns and at least a 90% completion percentage. Despite his record-setting accomplishment, Maye immediately gave credit to his coaches and teammates for his performance

“It’s an honor,” Maye said postgame. “But it takes everybody, like we say in the offensive room, takes everybody, all 11 each and every play, and whether it’s me throwing for that many yards or 20 yards, whatever takes to win.”

Whether Maye is selected as the 2025 NFL MVP is still a matter of conjecture. Given the Week 17 struggles of Los Angeles Rams’ quarterback Matthew Stafford in their 27-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, his chances have significantly increased. Still, the Pats left little to chance in making sure that Maye would take some spoils from his memorable showing in East Rutherford. In fact, head coach Mike Vrabel was determined to provide his young quarterback with an honorary keepsake, complete with a personal touch.

“It was just a pretty special performance. It’s no secret how I feel about Drake,” Vrabel told reporters at Gillette Stadium. ““They don’t give me a [MVP] vote but there’s nobody else I want as my quarterback … We wanted him to have a special game ball. That was one that I had constructed that had a lot of tape and paper, and I did arts and crafts on it. That was all our road wins on the ball that I had taped on there. So, he better bring it in here, and he better put it in the quarterback room because I put a lot of time and effort into that thing.”

Drake Maye has Made a Strong Case for MVP

Dec 28, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) passes against the New York Jets during the first quarter of the game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Perhaps best known for his elite arm strength, the 6’4” 225-pounder also possesses the velocity and touch on the ball to make any throw required of him. Maye has also been equally touted for his exceptional athleticism. When the play breaks down, he possesses both the agility and instinct to turn off-script options into big gains. This season, Maye has compiled 4.203 yards while completing 71.7 percent of his passes — 30 of which have gone for touchdowns. He has also carried the ball 98 times for 409 yards and four touchdowns this season — only adding to his multi-dimensional mystique.

Understandably, Maye’s ability to lead his team in nearly every conceivable situation has caught the attention of Patriots fans, his teammates and perhaps most importantly, his coach. His most recent display of mastery not only provided the Pats with sufficient prowess to put secure their victory long before the final buzzer sounded, but also made him the only choice to receive Vrabel’s latest artistic creation.

“I’d said the night before, whoever was the player to gain, they got this special game ball,” Vrabel advised. “So, it’s kind of fitting that Drake had the performance that he had. There were a lot of other really good performances and a lot of guys that helped us contribute, but certainly the day that he had and what he’s done so far for us. So, we’ll need a lot of those efforts from him to continue. You guys know that, and I anticipate that to happen.”

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