Jets players have spoken: Marcus Maye is their team’s most valuable player.
Maye was rewarded with the Curtis Martin Team MVP award Thursday following a vote by his teammates. Maye’s name will be added to a wall at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center that displays the names of past team MVPs.
Maye is the fourth safety to win the award. Dainard Paulson, Brian Washington and Jamal Adams are the other three Jets safeties who’ve taken home the team MVP award.
Maye, in his first season without Adams by his side in the secondary, has taken over as the leader of the Jets defense. Now in his fourth season, he’s the team’s longest-tenured, active player. Maye has been more vocal this season and shown a willingness to take on multiple roles on defense.
After spending most of his Jets career as the free safety, Maye took over as the strong safety for a stretch of games this season. He was playing the part that Adams had occupied for the last three seasons, playing up on the line of scrimmage. Additionally, Maye volunteered to return punts during training camp as well, but that never came to fruition during the regular season.
Statistically, Maye has put together the best season of his career. He’s registered 71 total tackles, two sacks, 11 pass breakups, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. The biggest play Maye made this season came in Sunday’s 23-20 win over the Rams. Maye broke up a pass to Gerald Everett on fourth down late in the game that allowed the Jets to get the ball back and run out the clock to pick up their first victory of the year.
Textbook from @alldayMAYE.
📺 #NYJvsLAR on FOX pic.twitter.com/4qt7uglJFs
— New York Jets (@nyjets) December 20, 2020
The Jets also announced the winners of five other team awards on Thursday. Frank Gore won the Dennis Byrd/ Most Inspirational Player award, while Ryan Griffin got the Ed Block Courage/Most Courageous Player award. Mathias Farley won the Marty Lyons/Community Service award and Folorunso Fatukasi won the Kyle Clifton/”Good Guy” award. Finally, rookie Denzel Mims earned the Bill Hampton/”Rookie Who Acts Like a Pro award.