Original Vikings Trade Push for Drake Maye Resurfaces
Drake Maye is absolutely thriving in New England as the Patriots’ signal-caller, and one outlet decided to revisit the Minnesota Vikings’ 2024 trade push for him this week.
Once upon a time, a Vikings trade for Drake Maye felt realistic, and now the team’s pursuit of the young quarterback is back in the news.
Indeed, Minnesota wanted a piece of Maye during the 2024 NFL Draft, but New England wasn’t selling. Maye is not “the one that got away” — he wasn’t available — but the purple team tried to acquire him nevertheless.
Albert Breer Reiterates Vikings’ Quest for Drake Maye in 2024 Draft
The diligence was done for Maye.
Minnesota Offered King’s Ransom for Drake Maye
SI.com‘s Albert Breer tipped his cap to New England for standing pat during the 2024 NFL Draft and selecting Maye, who, in theory, could’ve been obtained by a quarterback-needy team for a king’s ransom.
And Minnesota, indeed, reportedly sent a mammoth offer to the Patriots.
Breer wrote, “And here’s some credit to the Patriots for having conviction in Drake Maye in 2024. The opportunity was there for a team riddled with holes to build up capital by using the No. 3 pick as a trade chip. The Vikings offered the Patriots the 11th pick, the 23rd pick and their 2025 first-round pick (along with Day 3 pick swaps that favored Minnesota) to go up eight spots to No. 3 and get Maye.”
“The Giants offered their 2025 first-rounder to move up three spots, from No. 6 to No. 3. In the Giants scenario, the Patriots would’ve had their shot at Michael Penix Jr., J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix. In the Vikings scenario, they could’ve gotten McCarthy or Nix. And ultimately, they decided that Maye was better than those quarterbacks and the combination of draft capital they would’ve gotten after taking one of the other guys at No. 6 or No. 11.”
So, yes — when you hear that Minnesota offered three 1st-Rounders for the draft pick needed to select Maye in 2024, know that reporting is accurate.
And … New England Said No
The whole premise of Breer’s comments applauds the Patriots for sticking-and-picking at No. 3 in the draft. The decision netted them Maye, who appears to be on track for Top 10 quarterback stardom.
From a Vikings perspective, it’s really that simple. They called, offered a huge haul for Maye, and New England declined.
There isn’t much more to do in a scenario like that outside of dangling a Herschel Walker-style trade, and of course, nobody on the planet supported that in April 2024. Some rumors at the time even insinuated that New England wanted four 1st-Rounders and a player like Christian Darrisaw, which was quickly dismissed as absurd.
What Could Have Been
What are folks left with in the fallout of Breer’s re-upping the trade that almost was? Revisionist history.
In the meantime, Vikings fans will admire Maye from afar and wonder how he would’ve performed in Minnesota, comparing him side by side to J.J. McCarthy until that comparison becomes no longer worthwhile.
Realistically, that same crowd should compare McCarthy to Bo Nix or Spencer Rattler — two young quarterbacks who were actually gettable for Minnesota and currently start for their respective teams. Despite social media accounts suggesting that Maye was available to Minnesota via trade, he simply wasn’t attainable.
Minnesota tried, and the proposal was vetoed. A year and a half later, New England is championed for turning down all Maye trade offers.
Maye’s Numbers in 2025
For curious minds, here’s where Maye stacks per quarterback ranking metrics after six weeks of the 2025 regular season:
- EPA+CPOE: 3rd
- Passer Rating: 5th
- PFF: 6th
- ESPN QBR: 7th
- QB ELO: 16th
Not bad.
The Athletic on Maye as an MVP Candidate
Chad Graff sized up Maye’s MVP case this week and noted, “His ceiling has also risen quite a bit, and with each week that goes by, the Patriots seem more willing to let Maye air it out and put more on his plate.”
“On back-to-back third-and-longs against the Saints Sunday, Maye threw perfect passes deep down the sideline. Neither went for a catch (one was wiped off due to a questionable offensive pass interference call on Stefon Diggs, and the other bounced off the hands of receiver Mack Hollins), but both were a perfect example of how Maye can push the ball downfield.”
Check any branch of social media on a Sunday when Maye is cooking, and Vikings fans treat him like what-could-have-been asset.
Graff continued, “In the first three games of the season, Maye’s average pass was only 6.6 yards beyond the line of scrimmage, which ranked 24th in the league. In the last three games, it’s been 9.2 yards beyond the line of scrimmage, which ranked fourth. So the offense is starting to open it up for Maye. Beyond that, what’s especially impressive is that Maye is doing all this without a competent running game.”
“They’ve had to be one-dimensional because they rank 32nd in the league in expected points added per rush and 32nd in rushing success rate. So Maye is putting together one of the best seasons in the NFL so far without any running game to help him.”
But at least purple fans will have the quasi-satisfaction of knowing that Minnesota inquired about Maye in draft. There’s that.
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