Patriots’ Newcomer Drake Maye Stuns Fans by Seizing Control of the First Pro Bowl Vote Count. DH
After the first stage of voting, the New England Patriots quarterback is the only NFL player with over 30,000 votes.
After a rookie season where New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was named to the Pro Bowl as an alternate player, it’s clear he won’t be an alternate in 2025.
According to a press release by the NFL this week, the second-year star is the league’s leading vote-getter for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games with 31,452 total votes. The Patriots star is the only player to surpass 30,000 votes during the first stage of fan voting, nearly 4,000 more than the second-place player (Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba).
This shouldn’t surprise anyone, as Maye has quickly ascended to the league’s upper echelon of players. The former UNC star has led New England back to its winning ways, boasting a 10-2 record heading into the team’s Week 13 matchup with the New York Giants and one of the front runners for the MVP award in February.
Drake Maye Is No. 1 In The League’s Pro Bowl Voting
Maye, 23, has started all 12 games for the Patriots this season, throwing for 3,130 yards, 21 touchdowns and a NFL-best completion percentage of 71%. He’s also added 307 yards on the ground and a pair of scores with his legs, helping out the Patriots’ offense in a multitude of ways.
“No, I just hope to be top in wins,” Maye said earlier this season when asked if he’s aware of his placement in stats across the league. “That’s the biggest thing. Just trying to win. And I think all that stuff comes after that. And part of the reason, probably, is because we haven’t had a bye yet. So really just focused on one week at a time. And I think a lot of players on this team are doing great things to help me, and our defense is playing great. So it’s been fun. We got to keep going.”
Maye isn’t new to the Pro Bowl, participating in the event last year. Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning was the AFC’s head coach last year and praised the then-rookie Maye.
“You see, Drake, he’s very accountable, you know. When things go well, you see him giving credit to his receivers and linemen. When things don’t go well, you see him starting with himself, right,” Manning said, as seen on the Patriots’ X account. “He threw potentially the game-winning touchdown and didn’t get the two-point conversion. You heard him — it’s all he talked about, was the one that he didn’t get. So I like that. I like guys that are honest and aren’t trying to hide from it. And he owns it.”
The other players that round out the league’s top 10 are Smith-Njigba (27,162), Micah Parsons (25,155), Jonathan Taylor (25,134), Jahmyr Gibbs (24,951), Christian McCaffrey (24,636), Matthew Stafford (24,355), Myles Garrett (23,831), Josh Allen (23,238) and Kyle Juszczyk (22,982).
The 2026 Pro Bowl Games will be held ahead of Super Bowl LX in California this February. The NFL’s best players will be voted on and compete in flag football games and challenges. Fan voting for the event will continue until December 15.
And if Maye gets his way this season, he’ll have to turn down the event if his team makes it all the way to their 12th Super Bowl in franchise history.
