Drake Maye Can Become the Youngest Quarterback to Win the Super Bowl

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is one win away from being the youngest starting QB to win the Super Bowl in what could be argued as the best start to an NFL career ever.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers gunslinger Ben Roethlisberger holds the current NFL record after he led his team to victory in Super Bowl XL at 23 years and 340 days old. Maye will be 23 years and 162 days old in Super Bowl LX.

As history beckons, Maye and the Pats still have a tall task ahead of them.

Drake Maye Could Become Youngest Super Bowl-Winning QB 

While Maye could become the youngest Super Bowl-winning quarterback of all time, he will not be the youngest to start a Super Bowl. That title belongs to Dan Marino, who was 23 years and 127 days old when the Miami Dolphins lost to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XIX, 38-16. While many assumed that the second-year Marino, who won NFL MVP that year, would be in the Super Bowl again, he never made it back.

Maye isn’t on exactly the same trajectory. He finished eighth in the Rookie of the Year race last year, won by Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels, and he was “only” a second-team All-Pro quarterback this year. He is also expected to finish as the runner-up in the NFL MVP race to the Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford. 

Maye’s ascension has been remarkable. Here is a comparison of his rookie- and sophomore-season stats.

If the NFL had a Most Improved Award, the youthful Patriot would be the runaway winner. However, Maye will need more than just a compelling story to become the youngest quarterback ever to win a Super Bowl. 

Maye's Path to NFL History 

Maye and the Patriots are about to encounter a Seattle Seahawks defense that allowed the fewest points per game in the NFL (17.1) and ranked second in defense EPA per play.

Maye struggled when he played the only team ranked ahead of Seattle in EPA per play, the Houston Texans, in the divisional round of the playoffs. He fumbled the football four times, losing two of them, while completing 59.3 percent of his passes for 179 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. He was also sacked five times. 

There was a real argument that Maye was the most consistent quarterback in the NFL during the regular season. He only threw for fewer than 200 yards one time until Week 18, when he was pulled early, and he never had a multi-interception game. 

He hasn’t marched to the beat of that drum in the playoffs. His passing yards went from 268 to 179 to 86 in three appearances, and he had one, three, and one touchdown in those games.

The Seahawks’ defense was also up and down. They obliterated the San Francisco 49ers in a 41-6 divisional round win, but they got torched by Matthew Stafford in the conference championship game, posting the lowest EPA per play of the four teams in that round.

As the days count down, Maye needs to conjure his best performance of the season against a defense that will test him. If he passes the test, Drake Maye will become the youngest quarterback with a Super Bowl ring.

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