Former Patriots QB reveals why Drake Maye’s MVP talk isn’t crazy anymore
Brian Hoyer knows a thing or two about playing with MVP-caliber quarterbacks. After all, he was front and center in New England when Tom Brady was ruling the NFL's quarterback kingdom with the Patriots.
When it comes to national pundits downplaying current Patriots' signal-caller Drake Maye's play, Hoyer is tired of hearing it.
Maye's current numbers - 1,744 passing yards, 12 touchdowns to just two interceptions, and a 75.2 completion percentage - scream MVP candidate. Yes, the season is only seven games old and the Patriots have a long way to go, starting with Sunday's home game against Cleveland, but it's impossible to deny that Maye is performing at an elite level.
MVP candidate and no one can tell me I’m crazy for saying that. https://t.co/RZeRctCYCU
— Brian Hoyer (@bhoyer7) October 19, 2025
When you add in Maye's rushing touchdowns, he's accounted for 14 TDs this year, and he hasn't turned the football over since Week 3. Hoyer is not crazy, and it's time for the rest of the league to buy into what Maye and the Patriots are doing.
Brian Hoyer's words aren't just a hot take anymore because Drake Maye is an MVP candidate
It would be easy for outsiders to dismiss Hoyer's thoughts as a hot take from someone who spent the bulk of his career in a Patriots uniform. But the truth of the matter is, the stats do not lie.
New England swung and missed at the quarterback position for five years with the likes of Cam Newton and Mac Jones, and hoped to hit a home run in 2024 when they took Maye with the third overall pick.
It took some growing pains, coaching changes, and an upgraded roster, but the Patriots are proving Hoyer's thoughts to be a profit as they near the halfway point of the regular season.
When it comes to Maye's quarterback class, national pundits continue to rank Jayden Daniels ahead of him, but Maye is quickly closing ground on the Commanders' signal caller. It won't be a shock if Maye leapfrogs Daniels by the end of this season, especially if the Patriots continue to be at or near the top of the AFC East and Washington continues to struggle.
The MVP race is typically murky in mid-October, but by November, it slowly becomes clearer. And the Patriots have a guy under center who needs to be taken seriously in that conversation.
Cubs Face Crucial Decision On Shota Imanaga’s Contract — Breaking Down The Options
When the Chicago Cubs signed Shota Imanaga, the top line of the deal was four years and $53 million. But the deal is about as creative as one could imagine.
No, it’s not Shohei Ohtani creative. But this offseason does represent a real fork in the road for Imanaga and the Cubs, a franchise the former Japanese star wanted to play for so much that he stealthily slipped into Chicago before Cubs Con in 2023 to get a feel for the city before he signed the deal.
Now? He could end up being a rich man or a free agent. It isn’t just about the money. It’s about Imanaga’s future and whether he’s a fit for the Cubs for what could be the next three years. Chicago won’t have much time to make that decision after the World Series, either.
Shota Imanaga’s Contract Paths
Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
As presented by Jordan Bastian at MLB.com, the easiest thing the Cubs could do would be to trigger a club option to keep the left-hander. But it isn’t an ordinary option. Most contract options are year-to-year. This option, as written into the deal, is a three-year option. If Chicago triggers it, then it’s tied to Imanaga for three more seasons at a cost of $57.75 million.
That means the Cubs are comfortable with tying themselves to the 32-year-old for three more years. On paper, that works. He is 24-11 with a 3.28 ERA in 54 starts since he joined Chicago in 2023. But he’s spent time on the injured list both seasons, and he’ll be 35 at the end of the deal. The Cubs may not be comfortable with the money and his age.
If the Cubs aren’t comfortable, perhaps Imanaga is? By declining the option, the Cubs then put the lefty’s future in his hands. He would then have a one-year option that is worth $15.25 million. If Imanaga wants to stay at that cost, he can do so.
But it also triggers a different option for the Cubs. After the 2026 season, the three-year option would become a two-year option for Chicago, and the process would repeat.
That might be a good middle ground for the Cubs. But Imanaga may feel he’s worth more on the open market. Plus, by entering the market he would compete with San Diego’s Michael King, Houston’s Framber Valdez and San Diego’s Dylan Cease for the top free agent starting pitcher on the market.
The final option is both sides declining the option. In that case, the Cubs do have one final arrow in the quiver — the qualifying offer. Teams are allowed to make a qualifying offer to impending free agents. This year the QO is an estimated $22 million. Imanaga can take the money or turn it down. But, if another team signs Imanaga, then Chicago gets draft pick compensation.
Right now, Chicago has Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, Cade Horton and Javier Assad under contract. That is four-fifths of a starting rotation. Imanaga would complete it before the Cubs even hit free agency.
But that’s the question. Do the Cubs want Imanaga? Does Imanaga want the Cubs if they don’t trigger the option? Soon, the Cubs will have to figure that out.
