NFL news: Drake Maye, Jaxon Smith-Njigba lead Pro Bowl vote-getters at first release

Two young NFL stars have shone brightly this season, including Seattle Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Another standout has been Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. And those two players are in the lead as the NFL first released the Pro Bowl vote-getters for the 2025 season.

It’s a strong lead for Maye at the top, according to a post on X by Tom Pelissero.

“Patriots QB Drake Maye is the early leader in 2026 Pro Bowl Games votes on http://NFL.com and team websites. For more information on the 2026 Pro Bowl Games Vote, visit https://nfl.com/pro-bowl-games/how-to-vote. Fan voting began on Thursday, Nov. 27, and continues until Monday, Dec. 15.”

Maye has 31,452 votes while Smith-Njigba has received 27,162. Micah Parsons, Jonathan Taylor, and Jahmyr Gibbs follow in the top five. Also in the mix are Christian McCaffrey, Matthew Stafford, Myles Garrett, Josh Allen, and Kyle Juszczyk.

Patriots QB Drake Maye getting recognition

It has been more about Maye’s arm this season. Last year, he averaged 7.8 yards per rushing attempt. This season, he’s down to 4.1 yards per carry. But the Patriots are being more cautious with running their young star, according to bostonherald.com.

“We’ve had some of those (option) plays, and we’ve called some of those plays. And so, you kind of want to be careful,” head coach Mike Vrabel said Wednesday. “Guys are going in concussion protocol left and right. Again, we’ll be willing to do anything to win a football game, but I think being smart is probably the biggest thing.”

Maye’s passing numbers are strong. He has an NFL-best completion percentage of 71.0. Maye has hit on 252 of 355 passes for 21 touchdowns and six interceptions.

It seems like Vrabel knew what to expect of the talented second-year player, according to nbcsportsboston.com.

“I came here because of the familiarity. I came here because of Drake,” Vrabel said. “I knew what he would be, and it was important for me to come here. And that’s someone I wanted to coach. And so building a program is about that. It’s about putting great people around your really good players. That’s what Drake is for us.”

Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba enjoying standout season

Yes, he’s coming off his worst game of the season. But Smith-Njigba said it was a one-off, according to seattletimes.com.

“[Vikings defensive coordinator Brian] Flores does a great job mixing up looks, and we’re taking what they give us,” Smith-Njigba said. “And Sam [Darnold] made the best decisions for the team, and Zach (Charbonnet) and K9 (Kenneth Walker III) doing their thing. It was just one of those days.”

For the season, Smith-Njigba has 82 catches for 1,336 yards with seven touchdowns. He has already set the team record for receiving yards in a season.

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