Watch Patriots’ Drake Maye throw TDs to lucky fans during Knicks-Hornets game

Drake Maye is quickly rising up the NFL’s pecking order. After an incredible sophomore season that saw him lead the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl, the quarterback is well on track to become a household name and a popular figure. That will, naturally, include doing some promotional stuff.

Maye was back in North Carolina to watch the Charlotte Hornets at home play the New York Knicks. During one of the timeouts, the stadium announcer acknowledged the Patriots star’s presence. Maye also gave the fans a little treat by throwing footballs to the crowd during the timeout.

Drake Maye is courtside for Knicks/Hornets and slinging footballs into the crowd pic.twitter.com/xrXgWnELd6

— NBA (@NBA) March 26, 2026

The Hornets upset the visiting Knicks 114-103. Rookie Kon Kneuppel led Charlotte with 26 points as five players scored at least 17 points in the win.

Maye’s ties to Charlotte run deep. Not only did Maye play his college career in North Carolina, but the Patriots quarterback was also born there. He attended high school in Charlotte as well. Maye played in three seasons for UNC before being selected third overall by the New England Patriots in the 2024 NFL Draft.

After an up-and-down rookie season, Maye broke out in 2025 for the Patriots. The star quarterback threw for 4,394 yards while completing an incredible 72% of his passing attempts. Maye also threw 31 touchdowns last season to just 8 interceptions as the Patriots clinched the first seed in the AFC East once again and the second seed in the postseason.

Maye and the Patriots carried the momentum from their regular-season performance to the postseason. They beat the Los Angeles Chargers and the Houston Texans in the first two rounds before knocking out the first-seeded Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game. Their Super Bowl hopes were unfortunately crushed in the final game, as they ran into the buzzsaw that was the Seattle Seahawks.

The Patriots are now looking to enact their revenge in the 2026 season. It won’t be easy: the Pats have lost their surprise factor, and Maye now has a big target on his back. We’ll see how the Patriots respond this season.

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