Drake Maye it was one of the first players selected in the 2024 NFL draft, along with his girlfriend at the time, Ann Michael Maye, it was beside him when he joined the New England Patriots.
“Drake, words can't describe how proud I am of you,” Ann said Instagram in April 2024. “What a blessing it has been to have you through all of this❤️ I love it and I can't wait for the next chapter!”
Drake, a former quarterback for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, was drafted by the Patriots in the first round. While he made progress on the football field, Drake and Ann became engaged in January 2025 before tying the knot that June.
The newlyweds had a wild first year together, including Drake leading the Patriots to their first Super Bowl appearance with a win against the Denver Broncos in January 2026. Ann has been by her husband's side every step of the way — including two ice-filled playoffs before the February 2026 Super Bowl, which the team lost to the Seattle Seaha.
Keep scrolling to watch Drake and Ann's sweet love story:
January 2020
Drake posted his first Instagram photo with Hudson on New Year's Day 2020.
“We're bringing in '20 at 10🤤,” he captioned a photo of the couple kissing each other.
August 2020
“Somewhere on the beach 🏖,” the soccer player captioned a photo of himself and Hudson enjoying a trip to the Isle of Palms, South Carolina.
August 2021
Drake called out to Ann as he prepared to start a new chapter in life.
“Happy 18th to my girlfriend and my best friend. Enjoy your day and moving to college 🥰I love you❤️,” he wrote alongside two photos of the couple, one of which appeared to be a promotional photo.
July 2022
The twosome were spotted in the ocean together in a photo dump shared by Drake.
May 2023
“Spring Bling✨,” Drake wrote alongside a photo of the two dressed for the formal event. The athlete wore a shiny suit and bowtie while Ann wore a cream-colored dress with a spaghetti strap and a pleated skirt.
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April 2024
Ann showed her support for Drake before the NFL draft.
“Today is the day!” she wrote on her Instagram Story alongside Maye's ESPN video, via Sportskeeda. “So happy for you @drakemaye.”
On the big day, Ann attended an event with Drake when it was revealed that he would be joining the Patriots.
August 2024
Ann attended one of Drake's first NFL games. “Just the beginning,” he said briefly Instagram a picture of a couple on the side.
January 2025
The couple got engaged when Drake got down on one knee in a beautiful beach proposal.
“I love doing life with you,” Drake said on Instagram. “I can't wait to marry you!”
June 2025
Drake and Ann didn't waste much time tying the knot, getting hitched six months after being engaged.
“What a night! I love you forever!” Drake took to Instagram, sharing a series of photos from their event.
August 2025
“Happy birthday to my better half, my best friend, and I'm lucky to call you my wife❤️ I love you,” the NFL player wrote on Instagram on August 11 while celebrating Ann's birthday.
A few weeks later on August 30, Ann made Drake's birthday fun, writing on social media, “Happy birthday to my forever person❤️ I love you more than you know and I'm so lucky to be your wife! I'm so thankful for doing this life with you 🥰.”
November 2025
During the 2025-2026 NFL season Ann started to enter TikTok with her cooking skills – especially when her videos featured her husband or talked about feeding a football player.
A November 5 video of Ann's spiced apple cider donut was viewed more than 175,000 times in one week and received more than 550 comments.
“Ann loves baked goods but make sure Drake doesn't overdo it. He needs to get back on his feet,” replied another fan. “Thank you for taking care of Drake Maye, First Lady of New England,” read another.
The following month, Ann did a “Merry Bakemas” countdown baking where she baked treats or bread before the holidays. Drake was a frequent taste tester and guest on the TikTok series.
January 2026
Drake gave fans a glimpse into home life with Ann during a January 21 press conference, revealing that the two are pretty competitive.
“He started playing mahjong,” Drake said. “I haven't gotten into that yet. Something like that. Playing Battleship or cards or anything that comes out of me playing him.”
He mentioned that the couple took up tennis in the offseason and likes to make a game out of it. “He'll try anything we can compete in. He's a great athlete,” added Drake.
Later that month, Ann was at Drake's side as he led the Patriots to a victory over the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game, earning a spot in Super Bowl LX – the first of his career.
While many fans were excited to see the Pats return to the big game, some couldn't stop talking about Drake's body to Ann after the January 25 victory.
Ann Maye, Drake Maye, Hunter Henry and Parker Elizabeth Schmidly.
Justin Edmonds / Getty Images“Why does he always seem to be against him? He was so happy,” one user wrote in the comments section after the NFL shared a video of Ann congratulating Drake after the game where he appeared to be looking everywhere but at his wife who was trying to hug him.
A different user commented, “He looks like he doesn't care that he's there – and this is coming from a die hard patriots fan. Doesn't look like a couple celebrating going to the Super Bowl. Awkward.”
“I'm sure he loves him, he's just locked up,” wrote another fan defending the player. “You know that there is still one game left for him to win.”
Ann, on the other hand, didn't seem to be phased by the critics, and shared her celebratory post on Instagram on January 26.
“WE ARE GOING TO THE BIG GAME!!!!!❤️💙❤️💙 Words can't even describe how proud I am of you, #10!!!! Watching your dreams come true is such a blessing and I love you!!!!!” she snapped a series of photos with Drake, who looked happy to be by her side.
February 2026
Drake answered a question about getting married at just 22 years old during the Super Bowl press conference, explaining, “My teammates have the right to whatever they want but I would definitely advise them to get married. It's one of the best things I've ever experienced in my life. There's no better feeling than coming home to a wife who loves you and cares about you.”
He went on to say, “I know my colleagues, some of them are facing different problems in life, I chose to get married young, I don't regret it at all.”
That same month, Ann showed Drake some love after the Patriots lost the 2026 Super Bowl.
“Not how we wanted it to end but we still thank God for this great season❤️,” he wrote on Instagram on February 11, sharing photos of the big game. “We are blessed to be surrounded by an amazing group of people, who have made this season what it has been. This is just the beginning!!”
March 2026
After a whirlwind 2025-2026 football season, the Mayes are headed to Japan for a well-earned vacation. Ann posted about their trip on social media in early March.
April 2026
Drake and Ann are headed to Georgia to watch the 2026 Masters Tournament. “I love @themasters ⛳️💚,” Ann wrote on Instagram alongside a few candid photos with her husband.
