North Carolina Professional Athletes

Drake Maye Is Playing Like the League's Best-Kept Secret — Not Anymore

The New England Patriots drafted Drake Maye to be a franchise cornerstone. Eleven weeks into the 2026 season, he's looking more like a franchise-defining force. According to Next Gen Stats data reported by Heavy Sports, the former Tar Heel leads the NFL in four advanced passing categories measuring his ability to create off-structure — the kind of improvisational, scramble-drill brilliance that separates elite quarterbacks from system products.

Maye's October arc tells the full story: a slow start to the season gave way to four consecutive stellar performances, per Sports Illustrated's monthly review. The praise has extended internally, too — Maye singled out his tight ends, calling his connection with Hunter Henry and others "great," as New England increasingly leans on that positional group to carry the passing game. With A.J. Brown ruled out for Week 8 against Miami, the tight end reliance only figures to deepen.

Off the field, Maye absorbed a cheap shot in the Patriots' 30-24 loss to Chicago on Oct. 22 — Bears cornerback Clark Phillips III was fined $11,550 by the NFL for a helmet-related hit on the QB, confirming the league's attention is firmly on protecting its rising star.

---

Downs Is Done in Indy

Josh Downs has made it official: he wants out of Indianapolis. Colts head coach Shane Steichen confirmed the trade request publicly this week, telling reporters that despite the drama, Downs would suit up against Jacksonville on Sunday — and he did, catching 2 passes for 18 yards in a 10-16 loss to Minnesota on Oct. 25.

The NFL trade deadline looms on Nov. 10, and the market around Downs is active. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Steelers have checked in on the slot receiver, but Indianapolis is commanding a steep asking price that could complicate Pittsburgh's pursuit. The Colts — who have already moved guard Quenton Nelson to Seattle — appear to be entering a broader rebuild mode, with Downs among several veterans who could be dealt before the deadline closes.

---

The Reunion Trade the Internet Can't Stop Talking About

Here's where the Chapel Hill nostalgia kicks in. With Downs available and Maye ascending, the football world has done the math: why not send the former Tar Heel teammates to the same NFL sideline?

FanSided floated a formal Patriots-Colts trade proposal that would land Downs in New England, reuniting him with Maye for the first time since Chapel Hill. Heavy Sports independently reported on the same concept, framing it as a "game-changing reunion" with genuine heartwarming appeal. Reinforcing the possibility: Heavy Sports also noted that the Colts' next two trades could directly involve the Patriots, with Downs' name front and center alongside Keenan Allen and others still on the block.

It's worth noting that Maye is already operating at an elite level without Downs — but adding a trusted college target who knows his tendencies intimately, into a receiver room navigating A.J. Brown's injury concerns, is the kind of move that makes organizational sense beyond the sentimental storyline.

---

Around the Alumni

Elsewhere in the UNC NFL family, Cowboys running back Javonte Williams had the week's most eye-catching stat line among Tar Heel alumni: 155 rushing yards and a touchdown in Dallas's 38-21 blowout of Philadelphia on Monday night. Fellow Colt Charlie Heck — another ex-Tar Heel — was elevated to the 53-man roster this week after Nelson's departure created a roster opening.

Drake Maye gave the national audience everything it came to see Thursday night — and then gave Chicago exactly what it needed to win.

The UNC product finished with 321 passing yards, two touchdown passes, and a rushing score in a 30-24 Patriots loss to the Bears on Oct. 22, putting together the kind of complete performance that justified the primetime billing. But a second-quarter red-zone interception swung the momentum, and New England never fully recovered. After the game, Maye was visibly frustrated, lamenting the costly error — a turnover that coach Mike Vrabel also addressed directly in his postgame remarks.

The debate over who won the QB duel is almost beside the point. Bears coach Ben Johnson had called Maye "an elite deep ball thrower" who "can crush you with his legs" in the buildup to the game, and Maye largely validated the scouting report. Caleb Williams countered with 308 yards and two touchdowns of his own — just enough to edge out his 2024 draft-class counterpart for the second time in their young careers.

Whether the interception was the decisive play is already a point of contention. Sports Illustrated argued the Patriots had larger structural issues on the night beyond the turnover, while Boston.com was blunter: end-zone picks are a recurring problem that will keep New England from beating good teams until it stops. Maye's NFLPA peers clearly still believe in him — teammates voted him in as the club's NFLPA voting representative this week, a reflection of his standing in the locker room even through the growing pains.

It wasn't Maye's only strong outing of the week. Four days earlier, on Oct. 18, he threw for 235 yards and three touchdowns in a 26-19 win over the Jets — the kind of performance that had the Patriots' faithful feeling good heading into Chicago.

Elsewhere in the Tar Heel NFL

The rest of UNC's NFL contingent had a quieter week, but a few names registered.

Javonte Williams (Cowboys) found the end zone Sunday against the Packers, rushing for 41 yards and a touchdown in a 23-13 loss — though Dallas's broader run-game struggles drew sharp criticism, with some pointing to front-office decisions around their backfield as the underlying problem.

Omarion Hampton (Chargers) had a modest day against Kansas City — 18 rushing yards and 21 receiving yards on four catches — in a lopsided 22-6 loss that was more about the Chiefs' dominance than anything Hampton did wrong.

Josh Downs (Colts) caught four passes for 40 yards in a 26-20 loss to Tennessee, while trade speculation swirled around him separately: a reported potential deal to the Seahawks surfaced as Seattle looks to shore up its receiver depth beyond Jaxson Smith-Njigba.

Dyami Brown (Commanders) was held to one catch for six yards in Washington's 23-17 loss to San Francisco on Monday night.

Joshua Ezeudu (Chiefs) drew attention as Kansas City prepared to lean on the UNC product at backup offensive tackle against Seattle's elite defensive front — and his teammates made clear they trusted him to hold the line.

The week belonged to Maye, though. The upside was unmistakable. The margin for error, as Thursday proved, is still razor thin.

The Maye Renaissance Is Real

Drake Maye put together the most complete performance of his young NFL career on Oct. 11, torching the Las Vegas Raiders for 374 passing yards, four touchdowns, and a rushing score in a 45-17 blowout — and suddenly, the New England Patriots don't just look fixed. They look dangerous.

The five-touchdown outing has pushed Maye squarely into the MVP conversation, with analysts pointing to his work on downfield throws and tight-window balls as evidence that this isn't a hot streak — it's a gear shift. ESPN's Mina Kimes put it bluntly: the fact that New England is doing this without A.J. Brown in the lineup should be "terrifying" for the rest of the league. Multiple national voices, including Dan Orlovsky and former Patriots running back Steven Jackson, have credited offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels for unlocking the offense after a stumbling 0-3 start that had some observers floating the idea of benching the second-year quarterback.

The turnaround has the Jets spooked. New York defensive coordinator Brian Duker called Maye "frustrating" to game-plan against ahead of their Week 6 AFC East matchup, citing his dual-threat ability and quick processing as the toughest elements to contain. Garrett Wilson echoed the gravity of the moment, calling it a "big ass game" for a Jets team that can ill afford to fall further behind in the division. New England enters the matchup having won back-to-back games and looking every bit like a team with Super Bowl ambitions.

Brown's Return Could Blow the Roof Off

If Maye's current stretch is being done in survival mode, the offense is about to get a serious upgrade. A.J. Brown returned to practice on Oct. 14 for the first time since suffering a high-ankle sprain in New England's season-opening loss, and he's expected to play in Week 6. Maye has made clear he's eager to see what his No. 1 wideout adds to an offense that has already found its footing.

The Patriots acquired Brown in a splashy offseason move, and he's been sidelined for virtually the entire early stretch that made New England look like a rebuilding project. With Brown potentially back in the fold against the Jets, the ceiling for this offense rises considerably — and the rest of the AFC should be paying attention.

Around the League

Elsewhere for Tar Heel alumni, Josh Downs had a quiet day for the Indianapolis Colts in a 34-22 loss to the Steelers — three catches, 47 yards — as the Colts' offense continued to sputter. Devontez Walker made the most of his opportunities in Baltimore's 30-23 win over Atlanta, hauling in two receptions for nine yards and a touchdown. Omarion Hampton logged 33 rushing yards and a catch in the Chargers' 23-17 loss to Denver, as Los Angeles' run game remains a work in progress.

In Tennessee, Mitchell Trubisky is seeing his name surface in snap-count discussions after the winless Titans absorbed a 26-3 blowout loss to Houston — a result that has the team's quarterback situation under renewed scrutiny. And in Philadelphia, Willie Lampkin made his first career NFL start at center for the Eagles in their narrow 19-17 Week 5 loss to Jacksonville in London, drawing measured praise from the offensive line room despite the result.

The headliner, though, remains Maye. The kid from Chapel Hill is turning New England into must-watch football — and he's about to get a whole lot more help.

Drake Maye Silences the Doubters in Buffalo

After a rocky start to the 2026 season that had New England on edge, Drake Maye delivered the kind of performance that reminds the NFL why the Patriots were so high on the Chapel Hill product. On Oct. 4, Maye orchestrated a 29-26 road upset at Highmark Stadium, throwing for 269 yards and three touchdowns while adding 54 rushing yards — all in a game the Patriots nearly let slip away after falling behind in the fourth quarter.

The exit from Buffalo said it all: Maye walked off the field to chants of "MVP" from the visiting crowd. Days later, the AFC made it official, naming him AFC Offensive Player of the Week — the second time in his career he's earned the distinction. It's a notable redemption arc for a quarterback who had battled turnover issues through the first three weeks of the season.

Maye's win didn't come without some help. Tar Heel teammate Mack Hollins caught three passes for 53 yards in the victory, providing a veteran presence in a receiver room that has been battered by injuries all fall.

Hollins Heads to IR Ahead of Raiders Game

The good news from Buffalo came with a painful footnote. By Oct. 10, the Patriots placed Mack Hollins on injured reserve ahead of their matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, adding another name to a wide receiver depth chart that has become one of New England's most pressing concerns. With Hollins joining A.J. Brown on the sideline, the Patriots may look to bolster their receiver room to compensate.

The timing stings for Hollins, who had just contributed in a meaningful way against the Bills. Reports out of New England suggest cautious optimism about the long-term prognosis for both Hollins and Brown, but in the short term, Maye will be operating without two of his most trusted targets.

Around the League

Elsewhere among UNC's NFL contingent, Javonte Williams has been one of the quiet standouts of the early season for the Dallas Cowboys. The running back posted three rushing touchdowns in a Week 4 win over Houston, adding 62 rushing yards and 21 receiving yards — then followed it up Thursday night against Tampa Bay with another touchdown and 45 rushing yards. Williams is quietly putting together a strong case as one of the more productive backs from the Tar Heel alumni pool.

Dyami Brown had his best showing of the season for Washington in Week 4, hauling in three catches for 65 yards in a loss to Indianapolis, while Josh Downs caught three passes for 16 yards for the Colts in that same game. Willie Lampkin drew attention of a different kind, with Pro Football Talk reporting the undersized center is set to start for the Eagles — a significant role elevated by roster upheaval on Philadelphia's offensive line.

The headline, though, belongs to Maye. Two MVP chants and a Player of the Week award later, the Tar Heel quarterback looks like exactly what New England drafted him to be.