There’s something surreal about what’s happening in Foxborough this season. Sitting at 11-2, the New England Patriots are back to their dominant self for the first time since the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick era. And a major reason for it is their quarterback, Drake Maye.
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The UNC product has quietly become an MVP favorite, elevating from promising rookie to franchise cornerstone in his sophomore year. His numbers back it up, too: 3,412 yards, a 71.5% completion rate, 23 TDs, 6 INTs, and a QBR north of 121 in 13 games.
Most importantly, Maye has looked fully in command while embracing the “face of the offense” position with ease. For Patriots fans who suffered through the post-Brady slide, Maye’s rise must feel cathartic.
They finally have a quarterback they can believe in again. And when a fanbase falls in love, the memes, the lore, and the nicknames follow. Which brings us to the internet’s strangest new creation: Drake “Drake Maye” Maye.
No, this is not an alliteration. Nor is it a metaphor with a backstory. It is just his name that’s repeated as his nickname. And hilariously enough, nobody, not even the Patriots players, knows what it means.
When left tackle Will Campbell first shouted the long name into Maye’s press conference, the QB could only laugh and tell him, “Get out of here, rookie.”
Mike Vrabel didn’t have a proper answer, either, when asked about it: “I just heard about it ten seconds ago… Drake ‘Drake Maye’ Maye-Maye, I don’t know.”
Coach Vrabes is learning about Drake “Drake Maye” Maye & 6-7 @WEEI | #NEPats pic.twitter.com/mFb2Br0tzQ
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 24, 2025
Even Kayshon Boutte looked baffled on the sideline during Monday’s win over the Giants, asking teammates: “Hey, does anybody know what that means? They’re giving him a middle name, I guess.”
Kayshon Boutte doesn’t know what Drake “Drake Maye” Maye means.
— Savage (@SavageSports_) December 3, 2025
So what does it mean? Considering that no one seems to agree on an explanation, let us look at the two most popular theories.
1. It means absolutely nothing, and that’s the point. Just like Gen Alpha’s viral “6-7” meme, the beauty is in the absurdity. It’s humor for humor’s sake, a shared joke that doesn’t need logic to spread. Wes Anderson much?
2. It means he’s so good that his own name is the nickname.
The second interpretation has gained traction, especially after Tom Brady and national media accounts echoed the meme. The idea is simple here: Maye’s play has been so dominant that his literal name functions like a badge.
And honestly, both explanations fit. The Patriots have found their successor to Brady, a head coach in Mike Vrabel who fully trusts the QB, and a fan base that has spilled its joy into every corner of the internet, even Maye’s wife’s TikTok comments.
So it doesn’t matter if Drake “Drake Maye” Maye is a meme, a movement, or simply the weirdest nickname to hit the NFL in years. Patriots fans are just happy they are back to their dominant ways. And what’s happiness without a hint of delusion?
