Newly Inducted Hall Of Famer Praises Patriots’ Drake Maye
A recently selected Pro Football Hall of Famer gushed over New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye before Super Bowl LX.
Luke Kuechly joined Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Roger Craig and former Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri among the 2026 Hall of Fame class revealed Thursday night. Shortly after, the former Carolina Panthers linebacker commended Maye to the Charlotte Observer’s Scott Fowler.
“He is just a great dude,” Kuechly said of Maye. “Tough. He’s not a ‘me’ guy. He’s a ‘we’ guy. And all he’s done this year is win games. I think people are starting to recognize that this dude is a winner.”
Kuechly doesn’t think Maye has “a selfish bone in his body.” While ex-Panthers teammate Cam Newton hasn’t always touted a Charlotte native who grew up idolizing him, Kuechly is cheering for Maye.
“There’s not a better guy to root for in the NFL than a guy like Drake Maye,” Kuechly said. “Plus he’s a Charlotte kid, and a great story. That’s my favorite thing — when really good players are great people.”
Maye has earned adoration on and off the field during a breakout second season. The 23-year-old finished one first-place vote behind Matthew Stafford in the MVP race after completing 72 percent of his passes with a 113.5 quarterback rating.
Maye will look to accomplish a goal that eluded Kuechly by winning a Super Bowl on Sunday. The game starts at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC.