Rewriting Patriots History: How Drake Maye Can Climb Franchise Record Books

Two seasons in, and the New England Patriots quarterback is already shattering the franchise leaderboards.

Jan 18, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) celebrates after a touchdown in the second quarter against the Houston Texans in an AFC Divisional Round game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

It feels like Drake Maye was setting records galore last season for the New England Patriots.

Whether it was breaking Tom Brady's record for completion percentage in a single game (91%), setting the NFL record for completion percentage over expected (9.1%) or becoming just the fourth quarterback to suit up for the team in the Super Bowl, he was doing it all in 2025.

But just how good as Maye been to start his career in New England? The region was treated to legendary quarterback play for so long that it becomes expected from the fans.

Whether he was using his arm to launch balls down the field or using his legs to extend plays, Maye brought back winning aspirations to the Patriots. He also forced people to open up the franchise's record books for quarterbacks and start making some edits.

What could he accomplish in 2026? Apparently, a lot.

Accuracy Already Among NFL Royalty

Oct 12, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws downfield during the second half against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Maye led the NFL in completion percentage last year, racking up a 72% clip. For context of how good that number is, Brady led the league in that stat just once, and he never surpassed 70%. Brady's 2007 season -- which he won his first MVP award in -- resultd in a 68.9% completion percentage.

Should Maye lead the NFL in that category once again, he'll become the first Patriots signal caller to top the entire league in back-to-back seasons. He'd also become just the sixth player since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger to do so, joining the ranks of Joe Montana, Ken Anderson, Steve Young, Kurt Warner and Drew Brees.

Racking Up Yardage Through The Air, On The Ground

Jan 25, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) rushes the ball for a touchdown against the Denver Broncos during the first half in the 2026 AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Through one year and change of being the team's starting quarterback, Maye is already in the upper echelon of franchise quarterbacks. Sure, it helps when one guy is under center for two decades, but Maye is slowly surpassing some of the quarterbacks who did it for shorter periods of time.

Heading into 2026, Maye sits eighth all-time in passing yards with 6,670. With at least 3,330 this season, the 23-year-old can jump Mac Jones (8,918) and Jim Plunkett to become the sixth Patriots quarterback ever to reach 10,000 yards with the team. He'd join the likes of Brady (74,571), Drew Bledsoe (29,657), Steve Grogan (26,886), Babe Parilli (16,474) and Tony Eason (10,732).

It's not just with his arm that Maye is tearing up the field. It's also with his legs. Right now, he is fourth all-time by a New England quarterback with 871 rushing yards. Should he gain 167 more yards, he'd leapfrog both Parilli (949) and Brady (1,037) to move into sole possession of second place, behind Grogan's 2,176 yards.

Finding End Zone With Ease

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

The yardage is good, and it can come in chunks. But what about finding pay dirt? Maye has also been doing that at a high level. He's sitting at 46 career passing touchdowns, tied with Mac Jones for seventh-most in Patriots history. While he's still a bit away from eclipsing 100 career touchdown tosses, he's not far from jumping over some of the players ahead of him.

Two former first round selections -- Plunkett (62 touchdowns) and Eason (60) -- are entrenched in the fifth and sixth slots, respectively. If Maye throws for 17 touchdowns in his third season, he'll etch his name into the top five list. That's not out of the question, as his career-low was 15 touchdowns -- when he played in just 10 full games as a rookie.

Winning Formula Is Cooking

Jan 11, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) jogs off the field after defeating the Los Angeles Chargers in an AFC Wild Card Round game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

What's the most important stat in football? Wins. Despite being in the bottom of the league when he was drafted, Maye has helped right the ship and the wins have come in bunches. As a starting quarterback, he's been credited with 17 wins. He's one of just nine Patriots to ever win 10+ games under center in New England.

The Patriots may not have the same success they enjoyed a year ago, but should they rack up 12 more wins (and Maye stays healthy), he'll reach 29 career wins. That number puts him fifth all-time, one ahead of Eason. He'd be trailing Parilli's 44, a number that isn't far out of reach for the young gunslinger.

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