The New England Patriots are officially playoff-bound, with Drake Maye and company now turning their attention to Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers during Wild Card Weekend.
Along with the Patriots preparing to take on a talented Chargers squad on Sunday at Gillette Stadium, the debate still rages on regarding the two-man race for NFL MVP between Maye and veteran star quarterback Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams.
Mike Vrabel Reveals Why Drake Maye is the NFL MVP
GettyDrake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots
Maye’s biggest supporter in his quest to win his first NFL MVP award is none other than Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, who revealed why the regular-season award should go to his star under center during media availability on Monday.
“He’s extremely accurate. He’s made the most of every passing opportunity,” Vrabel said of his star quarterback. “We created a lot of X plays, and to create X plays — it’s about 30% scheme and it’s about 70% the players making a play — part of that is the quarterback putting it in a great location for run-after-catch, I think you continue to see that. His ability to extend, use his legs to gain first downs—critical first downs. His ability to score when we’ve asked him to score and run it in.”
Not only does Vrabel believe that Maye has earned the MVP award during the 2025 campaign, but he also believes the bulk of the credit for the Patriots’ impressive season needs to go to the second-year quarterback.
“He’s been everything that we’ve asked and he continues to get better,” Vrabel said. “He’s not satisfied. So I know that our success, where we are right now today, has a lot to do with Drake Maye.”
Although Stafford has a strong case to win his first NFL MVP, Maye might be able to slip in there and snag the award, which will be announced on February 5.
Drake Maye Shares Thoughts on Facing Justin Herbert
GettyJustin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers talks with Drake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots
The head-to-head battle between Stafford and Maye for the NFL MVP award may be a popular storyline heading into the NFL playoffs. Still, the Patriots’ rising star will have his work cut out for him going up against the Chargers and one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Herbert.
Maye recently opened up about being set to face Herbert and clearly has a lot of respect for the Chargers star.
“I don’t know if I’ve met Justin,” Maye said of Herbert. “I don’t think I have. I know him through people and heard great things. Obviously, I love his game. I love the way he throws the football. He throws at a really high level. He can make plays on the move, can make plays off platform, can launch it. I think just the way he holds himself and cares about his teammates, he’s really good for the team and not about himself. I have a lot of respect for Justin and how he plays the game and plays at a really high level.”
Currently, the Patriots are favored (-3.5) to come out on top against the Chargers while playing host to John Harbaugh’s squad on Sunday in Foxborough.
Patriots HC Mike Vrabel Delivers Bold Message on Drake Maye’s MVP Candidacy Before Playoffs