With Patrick Mahomes out for the season with an injury and the KC Chiefs out of the playoff picture, the door is finally open for a quarterback who has been knocking on it for years to go all the way. For a long time, that path has been firmly blocked by Mahomes. Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Trevor Lawrence have all run into that roadblock while chasing their maiden ring. But there is another contender who deserves to be in this conversation, just in his second year, and to win it all this season: Drake Maye.
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Allen and the Bills have already locked up a playoff spot. Jackson needs a win in his final game to punch his ticket. Lawrence still has a path as well, with a chance to win the AFC South and potentially the conference’s top seed if things break right in Week 18. Even so, none of those quarterbacks has built a stronger MVP case than Maye.
Maye’s Patriots are in prime position to secure the AFC’s top seed, with only the Broncos standing close, and Maye has been playing lights-out football all season.
Maye’s MVP push gained even more momentum after LA Rams’ Matthew Stafford took a hit to his candidacy following a loss to the Falcons. At this point, it feels like the Patriots quarterback has a real grip on the award.
And based on the way he has carried himself and elevated the 13-3 team, it also would not be a stretch to say New England has a legitimate Super Bowl path as well. That said, not everyone sees it that way, including former Patriots Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman.
When asked which quarterback deserves to win a Super Bowl ring, Gronk sided with an NFC quarterback, naming Caleb Williams. Edelman, meanwhile, went with Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
“I’ll say Caleb Williams. What a turnaround it has been in Chicago, with head coach Ben Johnson. [Caleb] is just making crazy, insane throws and completing them as well,” Gronkowski said.
Edelman noted, “Off of this year, gotta be Trevor Lawrence. My guy is playing hot right now, has a really good defense. First overall pick.”
Fans clearly did not see this coming, with one saying that “this hurts” after two former Patriots snubbed Drake “Drake Maye” Maye.
“Wow this hurts 2 Patriots greats and they don’t say Drake “Drake Maye” Maye,” they commented.
Another added:
“And I took that personally…” pic.twitter.com/s1RBj4mMPv
— LuckSide Crypto (@LuckSide) January 2, 2026
Former Packers safety Charles Woodson was also part of the conversation and went with Josh Allen as the quarterback who deserves to win the ring this season. Though he made it clear that no one truly deserves to win a ring and that it has to be earned, which we agree with.
If we are talking about deserving, let’s not forget Justin Herbert. Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rodgers are on that list as well, both nearing the end of their careers, along with often-forgotten Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold.
That said, if we are going by quarterback dominance this season, Maye has to top the list. Just facts. That is why it was disappointing to see both Gronk and Edelman snub the quarterback who is playing on the same field they once called home.
