Can A.J. Brown help New England Patriots QB Drake Maye win the MVP Award next season?
New England Patriots QB Drake Maye finished second in MVP voting last season, losing the award to Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford.
To make matters worse, Maye also lost the Super Bowl to the Seattle Seahawks. It was a tough end to what was a magical season for Maye and the Patriots in Year 1 of the Mike Vrabel era.
The good news is that New England acquired a No. 1 WR for Maye this offseason, A.J. Brown, and NFL analyst Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report believes Brown can make Maye the "MVP" favorite in 2026.
"If Brown proves to be an upgrade over last year's No. 1 receiver, Stefon Diggs, Maye just might emerge as the MVP favorite," Knox wrote.
Brown has already been very impressed by Maye. The WR told reporters that his new QB is a "true leader of men" despite only being 23 years old.
"The talent speaks for itself; he can make any throw, but I think what's more impressive to me is that he knows what he's doing," Brown said. "To be that young, and to understand the defense, and to understand every little check -- the hots, the blitz, all those things so fast -- is very impressive. So, I really admire that he knows what he's talking about, and he demands everyone else to know, as well. He's a true leader of men. It's crazy to see at a young age."
Maye finished the 2025 regular season with 4,394 passing yards and 31 passing touchdowns while completing 72.0% of his passes. Not bad for a second-year QB.
Brown had 78 catches for 1,003 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns last season with the Eagles. The Pro Bowler enters next season with 8,029 receiving yards and 56 receiving touchdowns in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans and Eagles. He was heavily linked to the Patriots because Vrabel coached him in Tennessee. The two are very close.
Since entering the NFL, Brown is fourth in the league in both receiving yards (8,029) and touchdown catches (56). Brown and Cincinnati Bengals superstar Ja'Marr Chase are the NFL's only two players with at least 1,000 receiving yards and seven-plus touchdown catches in each of the past four seasons. Not bad, right?
"It's hard not to get excited," Maye said. "What a player he is, and just right off the bat, what a great teammate so far. He's been a guy that you see on 'SportsCenter' the next day, making plays and scoring."
It will be intriguing to see how Brown performs in 2026 in Josh McDaniels' offense. The Patriots open the season with a Super Bowl rematch against the Seahawks in Seattle.
Patriots Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Patriots. Click the "Join" button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
