The NFL has announced its October AFC Players of the Month, recognizing three players who delivered standout performances for their respective teams.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, Denver Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton and Houston Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn earned the conference's monthly honors in the offensive, defensive and special teams categories.
From Maye's record-setting passing performances to Singleton's tackling production and Fairbairn's perfect month kicking the football, all three players made significant contributions throughout October.
Drake Maye Leads the AFC Offensive Recognition
Drake Maye of the New England Patriots named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for October 2026.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye earned AFC Offensive Player of the Month honors after putting together one of the league's most productive offensive stretches in October.
Maye completed 90 of 134 passes (67.2%) for 1,199 yards and 12 touchdowns, finishing the month with a 119.0 passer rating. He also contributed 129 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
His performance put him at the top of the NFL in both touchdown passes and passer rating during October.
One of Maye's biggest accomplishments came in Week 5, when he delivered a historic performance. At 24 years and 42 days old, he became the youngest player ever to record at least 350 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, a passer rating of 150 or higher and a rushing touchdown in a single game.
Maye finished that performance with:
374 passing yards
Four passing touchdowns
A 150.9 passer rating
One rushing touchdown
He became just the fourth player in NFL history to accomplish the feat, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Drew Brees, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Aaron Rodgers.
The recognition marks Maye's first career Player of the Month award and makes him the third Patriots quarterback to receive the honor. He joins Tom Brady, a 10-time winner, and Drew Bledsoe, who earned the award in December 1994.
Maye also joins Natrone Means (October 1994) as the only former University of North Carolina players to earn an Offensive Player of the Month award.
Alex Singleton Anchors Denver's Defensive Success
Alex Singleton of the Denver Broncos named AFC Defensive Player of the Month for October 2026.
Denver Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton earned AFC Defensive Player of the Month honors after leading the league in tackles during October.
Singleton recorded 54 tackles, including four tackles for loss and one sack. He also led the NFL with three games featuring at least 13 tackles during the month.
His production has extended throughout the season. Singleton entered the award recognition with 101 total tackles, becoming just the second player since 2000 to record at least 100 tackles through his team's first eight games of a season.
The only other player to accomplish the milestone was Zaire Franklin, who recorded 102 tackles for Indianapolis in 2023.
The award is Singleton's first career Player of the Month honor and places him among an accomplished group of Denver linebackers.
He becomes the fifth Broncos linebacker to receive Defensive Player of the Month recognition, joining:
Von Miller – Four-time winner
Simon Fletcher – December 1991
Karl Mecklenburg – November 1989
DeMarcus Ware – September 2015
Singleton also makes history as the first former Montana State player to earn an NFL Player of the Month award.
Ka’imi Fairbairn Delivers a Perfect Month for Houston
Houston Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn rounded out the AFC award recipients by earning Special Teams Player of the Month honors.
Ka’imi Fairbairn of the Houston Texans named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October 2026.
Fairbairn was perfect on field goals and extra points throughout October, converting all 11 field goal attempts and 10 point-after attempts.
His performance included five successful field goals from 50 yards or farther, the most in the NFL during the month.
Fairbairn scored a league-leading 43 points in October and was the only kicker to convert every field goal attempt while attempting at least 10 kicks.
The recognition marks his second career Player of the Month award, following his previous win in December 2018.
He becomes the fifth Houston Texans player to earn multiple Player of the Month awards, joining:
J.J. Watt – Six-time winner
Arian Foster – Two-time winner
Andre Johnson – Two-time winner
Deshaun Watson – Two-time winner
Fairbairn also becomes the first former UCLA player to earn multiple Special Teams Player of the Month awards.
Three Players Recognized for Their October Impact
October brought different types of standout performances across the AFC, and Maye, Singleton and Fairbairn each made their mark in their respective roles.
Maye's passing efficiency and scoring production helped establish him among the conference's top offensive performers. Singleton consistently delivered for Denver's defense, leading the league in tackles for the month. Meanwhile, Fairbairn maintained a perfect record on field goals and extra points while leading all NFL players in October scoring.
The three selections highlight the impact of offensive execution, defensive consistency and special teams reliability as the NFL season continues.
