Story byJan 11, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) smiles after a touchdown pass during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers in an AFC Wild Card Round game at Gillette Stadium. (David Butler II/Imagn Images)Tyler MaherMon, February 9, 2026 at 8:49 PM UTC·2 min readJust a few days after losing an incredibly tight NFL MVP race to Matthew Stafford, Drake Maye had a chance to get the last laugh and prove the voters wrong. After all, it was Maye, not Stafford, playing for a championship in the Super Bowl. Stafford and his Los Angeles Rams went down in the NFC Championship Game, losing a nailbiter to the Seattle Seahawks. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIf Maye could beat the Seahawks on the game’s biggest stage, especially as an underdog, that would give him the ultimate trump card. Instead, he folded like an old lawn chair against Seattle’s stifling defense, making Stafford’s MVP win look even better in hindsight. Colin Cowherd, who believes Stafford deserved MVP, made an unflattering comparison between the two star quarterbacks on Monday’s episode of “The Herd.”“I’m watching Stafford against this Seahawks defense and he looks like Lewis Hamilton.
