The Patriots will return to the Super Bowl after beating the Broncos, 10-7, in a very snowy AFC championship game on Sunday.
While it wasn’t a stellar offensive showing, the game does mark another step in an absolutely remarkable season from young quarterback Drake Maye. The second-year signal-caller played his way into MVP conversations in 2025 while leading New England to a stunning turnaround; he racked up 4,394 yards and threw 31 touchdowns as the Pats won 14 games. Now there’s only one game left on the schedule: a championship bout against the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.
It’s an incredible achievement for Maye and one his wife, Ann Michael, appreciates just as much. After the players’ families came down onto the field for the Lamar Hunt Trophy presentation on Sunday, the NFL microphones caught her sweet message to Maye as they reunited following the close win.
“Drake! You’re going to the Super Bowl!”
first trip to the biggest stage ❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/dBUMBMgxcE
— NFL (@NFL) January 27, 2026
It’s an adorable moment between the young couple. Ann Michael has become something of a celebrity in her own right around Boston, and is a beloved figure in the Patriots’ community. As coverage increases dramatically around Maye in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, the larger NFL world will get to know Ann Michael’s famous Bakemas series, which went from TikTok to a series on NBC Boston.
Regardless of what happens on February 8, the above video is a memory the Mayes will never forget.