Drake Maye went rogue on play that clinched Patriots’ Super Bowl 2026 berth

With a trip to Super Bowl 2026 on the line, Drake Maye called a silent audible.

The second-year Patriots quarterback decided to keep the ball himself on a third-and-5 at the New England 41-yard line with 1:57 left in the fourth quarter, despite offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels calling for a handoff to Rhamondre Stevenson, according to the Boston Herald.

Maye, the 23-year-old MVP candidate, went for the naked bootleg and, with the help of a stiff-arm, outran Broncos linebacker Jonah Elliss for a 7-yard rush to pick up the first down and seal a 10-7 victory in the AFC Championship game in snowy Denver as the Broncos were out of timeouts.

“I hit my block, and all the defenders started running the other way,” Patriots center Garrett Bradbury told the Boston Herald. “I’m like, ‘What? Oh my God.’”

“After the game, Drake’s like, ‘I debated telling you guys if I was gonna (keep) it or not. But I just decided not to,” Bradbury added.

Maye gave only a hint at what he saw from the Broncos’ defense that made him decide to keep the ball.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) stiff-arms Broncos linebacker Jonah Elliss (52) during his game-sealing first-down run in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship game on Jan. 25, 2026. Boston Globe via Getty Images

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) picks up the game-sealing first down with a 7-yard run in the fourth quarter against the Broncos on Jan. 25, 2026. Boston Globe via Getty Images

“At some point, they get lackadaisical and got a chance to get around the edge,” Maye said. “I thought [Elliss] was gonna track me and hawk me down, but got enough to pick up the first. Coach Vrabs [Mike Vrabel] will probably get mad about running out of bounds, but at that point, it doesn’t matter when you get the first down.

Maye struggled passing as the weather worsened in the second half, finishing 10-for-21 with 86 yards, but he had 10 rushes for 65 yards and a second-quarter touchdown run that tied the game.

He will be the second-youngest quarterback to ever start a Super Bowl, just behind Dan Marino.

Maye, whom the Giants tried to trade up to draft before the Patriots selected him No. 3 overall in 2024, had 4,394 yards passing, 31 touchdowns, eight interceptions and a league-best 72 completion percentage during the regular season as the Patriots went 14-3 to win the AFC East and nab the No. 2 seed.

The Patriots take on the Seahawks in Super Bowl 2026 on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, Calif.