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NFL Announces Drake Maye Milestone After AFC Championship

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Jan 25, 2026 10:38 PM ET

The New England Patriots are heading to the Super Bowl. Mike Vrabel's team beat the top-seeded Denver Broncos 10-7 in the AFC championship on Sunday night, securing New England's first trip to the big game in the post-Tom Brady era.

Drake Maye struggled throwing the ball amid the snowy field conditions at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver. He completed just 10 of his 21 passes for 86 yards without a touchdown.

However, Maye scored on the ground, rushing for six yards in the second quarter for New England's only touchdown of the contest. The Patriots QB rushed a total of 10 times for 65 yards.

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) looks on during a game.Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

With the Patriots' win, Maye also made history in the process. According to the NFL, he is the second-youngest quarterback ever to reach the Super Bowl.

At 23 years and 148 days old at the time of the conference championship game, Maye was just 35 days older than Dan Marino. The Miami Dolphins icon was 23 years and 113 days old when he booked a ticket to Super Bowl XIX.

"A new era in New England," the NFL wrote while revealing Maye's accomplishment.

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It's certainly a well-deserved milestone for Maye, who had a sensational second season with the Patriots.

An MVP finalist, the New England quarterback finished with 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns against just eight interceptions during the regular season. He also led the league in QB rating at 77.1.

Maye would be 23 years and 162 days old on the day of Super Bowl LX. If the Patriots win, he would become the youngest QB to win the Super Bowl. Ben Roethlisberger currently holds that record after winning the title with the Pittsburgh Steelers at 23 years and 340 days old.

New England faces the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl, scheduled for Feb. 8

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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