Drake Maye Is in the MVP Hunt-But David Andrews Hopes He Doesn’t Win It (Yet)

As we roll into Week 14 of the 2025 NFL season, one of the biggest stories in football isn’t about a grizzled vet chasing one last ring or a team trying to claw its way into the playoffs. It’s about a 23-year-old quarterback in just his second year, leading one of the most storied franchises in football back to the top of the AFC. Drake Maye has not only arrived-he’s thriving, and he’s got the New England Patriots riding a 10-game win streak with an 11-2 record to show for it.

Maye’s performance this season has him squarely in the MVP conversation, and not as a long shot. He’s going toe-to-toe with seasoned names like Matthew Stafford, who’s in his 17th season with the Rams. But while fans in Foxborough are buzzing about the possibility of their young QB taking home the league’s highest individual honor, not everyone in the Patriots circle is ready to pop the champagne just yet.

Enter David Andrews, the longtime Patriots center and locker room leader, who offered a candid-and very superstitious-take on the MVP chatter. His message? Pump the brakes.

“I’ve been a part of one MVP season; it was the one season we didn’t win the Super Bowl,” Andrews said during a recent appearance.

That MVP season he’s referring to? You don’t have to dig too deep into Patriots history to figure it out. And if you’re a fan of New England football, you know exactly how that year ended-not with confetti, but with questions.

Andrews isn’t questioning Maye’s talent. Far from it.

He’s been around the league long enough to recognize when a quarterback has “it,” and Maye clearly does. But what Andrews is tapping into is something every athlete, coach, and diehard fan understands: the power of motivation-and the fear of the dreaded “MVP curse.”

It’s not about doubting Maye’s ability to carry the team. It’s about what happens after the trophy is handed out.

The MVP award, as prestigious as it is, doesn’t come with a ticket to the Super Bowl. In fact, history has shown us that it can sometimes be a distraction-or worse, a jinx.

And Andrews is wary of that.

“Imagine if this kid doesn’t win the MVP… I think they’re gonna be pissed off, and I like them pissed off.”

That’s classic Patriots mentality right there. Find the slight, real or imagined, and use it as fuel.

It’s the same mindset that helped build a dynasty-one that thrived on being doubted, overlooked, and disrespected. And now, with Mike Vrabel at the helm, a former Patriot who lived through the early 2000s rise, that edge might be returning.

Andrews’ comments aren’t about throwing cold water on Maye’s MVP campaign. They’re about keeping the main thing the main thing.

The Patriots are in the driver’s seat in the AFC, and with the postseason looming, the focus is on finishing the job. If that means using a perceived MVP snub as bulletin board material, so be it.

This team has done more with less in the past.

But make no mistake-Drake Maye is already doing something special. Whether he wins the MVP or not, he’s transformed the Patriots offense, brought stability to the most important position on the field, and put New England back in the championship conversation. That’s a win in itself.

Still, for guys like Andrews, who’ve been to the mountaintop and know what it takes to stay there, individual accolades are nice-but they’re not the goal. The goal is February. The goal is the Lombardi.

So if Maye ends up hoisting the MVP trophy? Great.

But if he doesn’t? That chip on his shoulder might just be the extra push this team needs to finish what they’ve started.