Drake Maye is a professional football quarterback in the NFL. He plays for the New England Patriots and wears #10. His play helped the Patriots win their division and reach the AFC Championship game. He also earned All-AFC honors and Pro Bowl recognition.
Maye can also run with the ball for extra yards when needed. He has improved each year and is now considered one of the rising stars in football. His style mixes a strong arm and good accuracy with smart decision-making. Many people think he could be an MVP candidate as he keeps developing.
Early Life
Drake Maye was born on 30th August, 2002, in Huntersville, North Carolina. Drake Maye is the son of Mark Maye, a football player who played quarterback for the Tar Heels from 1983 to 1987. Drake spent his childhood with his three younger brothers, Cole, Luke, and Beau Maye. Cole, who played for and was part of the 2017 tournament, was a pitcher on the University of Florida’s 2017 state championship baseball team.
Beau joined the Tar Heel basketball team in 2022. Drake Maye grew up in a sports-loving family and always supported his family. He was named the MaxPreps North Carolina Player of the Year while playing high school for Myers Park High School. He had committed to Alabama and was a four-star prospect before North Carolina.
Career
Drake Maye played his freshman season in 2021 and redshirted and appeared in 4 games. He became the substitution for Sam Howell, who was injured and unable to play against Wofford; that was the golden opportunity for this career.
Maye performed half the game with Jacolby Criswell, and Maye finished 7 passes for 89 yards and a touchdown, the first of his career. He also ran 38 yards. In 2022, Maye and Jacolby Criswell were competing for the quarterback function when Sam Holding left for the NFL. On 22 Aug, 2022, Maye became the starter, which was 5 weeks before the week zero season opener.
Drake Maye finished 29/37 passes and 5 touchdowns for 293 yards and rushed four times for 45 yards. Maye became the first starter for the Tar Heel quarterback. In his next game against in-state foe App State, he helped his team to win through 2 points, and in that game, he threw 352 yards for 4 touchdowns.
Rise to Fame
In the second week, they performed against Georgia State, and he led the Tar Heels to another win. After a week they lost against Notre Dame in a 45-32 loss at home, but still he managed to throw five touchdowns. In the next game, he led the team to win in opposition to Virginia Tech in Chapel Hill and threw 363 yards and three touchdowns.
Drake Maye had a lot of touchdowns in his first 5 games, and they won 6 games in a row. He gave his best performance against the team Wake Forest and had an exciting 36-34 victory. The team only lost three games within the season, and Maye continued to play for the team.
Maye has several school records and earned accolades like ACC Player of the Year, ACC Offensive Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year, ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year, and First-Team All-ACC. In 2023, Maye started his 2nd season as a quarterback and additionally received several honors like Preseason ACC Participant of the Year.
NFL
New England picked Drake Maye third overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. Coaches believed in him right away and turned down trade offers. He landed a fully guaranteed contract for about $36.6 million. As a rookie, they gave him jersey number 10. Veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett started the season first. Maye watched and learned from the sidelines early on.
Offensive struggles made the coaches switch to Maye by October. In his first start, he threw three touchdown passes. He also made some strong runs with the football. A concussion briefly stopped his season later on. He came back after fully recovering from the injury. His rookie totals included 2,276 passing yards. He threw 15 touchdowns but also 10 interceptions.
His first ten touchdown passes went to ten different players. That rare feat caught the league’s attention. Officials named him a Pro Bowl replacement after that year. New coaches arrived for the 2025 season. They designed the offense to use Maye’s specific talents. Better blocking from the line gave him more time. Smarter play-calls boosted his confidence in the pocket.
His passing numbers jumped to 4,394 yards that season. He threw 31 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. Maye even set a team record for completion percentage in one game. Late-season wins clinched a playoff spot for New England. They had missed the playoffs for a few years before that. Drake Maye put on a masterclass against the Jets.
He completed 19 of his 21 pass attempts. His 90.4% completion rate was simply outstanding. Maye threw for 256 yards in the game. He also tossed a career-high five touchdown passes. He became the first NFL quarterback ever with a stat line like that. Nobody before him had ever hit a 90% completion rate with 250 yards and five scores in one game.
Drake Maye Biography |
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| Real Name | Drake Lee Maye |
| Birth Date | August 30, 2002 |
| Age (as of 2026) | 23 Years |
| Birthplace | Huntersville, North Carolina, United States |
| Profession | Football Quarterback Player |
| College | University of North Carolina |
| Qualification | Sophomore |
Physical Statistics |
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| Height | in feet inches—6’ 4”—in centimeters—193 cm |
| Weight | in Kilograms—104 kg—in Pounds—230 lbs |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eye Color | Blue |
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Family |
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| Father | Mark Maye |
| Mother | Katrina Maye |
| Sister | – |
| Brother | Cole, Luke and Beau Maye |
Relationship Status |
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| Marital Status | Married |
| Affair | – |
| Who is his wife? | Ann Michael Maye |
Personal Life
Drake Maye is married to Ann Michael Maye. She married him in 2024 and enjoys her privacy. Ann Michael became quite popular online during the last NFL season. She started a fun holiday tradition called “Bakemas” on TikTok. Every day in December she baked something new for her series. New England Patriots players often got to enjoy her treats.
She especially shares them with the offensive linemen on the team. Ann Michael also cheers on her husband at games. Sometimes she wears a shirt that says “I ❤️ Drake Maye.” A local TV station even did a story about her baking. Some fans in Boston joke she is more famous than Drake right now.
Drake Maye Net Worth
Drake Maye made a lot of money from his first NFL contract. He signed it after getting picked third in the 2024 NFL Draft. All the money from this deal is guaranteed by the team. He gets a total of $36.64 million. This money comes over four years with the New England Patriots.
A massive signing bonus of $23.47 million came first. This contract will keep him with the team through the 2027 season. After that, the Patriots can choose to keep him longer. His pay happens on a schedule. He received most of his money right away in 2024. That year, his base salary was $795,000. His big signing bonus pushed his total cash to over $24 million.
For the 2025 season, his base salary goes up to $960,000. His total cash that year will be about $2.46 million. Future seasons in 2026 and 2027 will see his base salary and cash increase. By early 2026, he had already earned nearly $27 million from this deal.
