It’s been almost half a decade since Tom Brady last graced Gillette Stadium as a Patriot. But ever since then, no QB has been able to fill the void he left when he moved to play for the Buccaneers. A few disastrous seasons later, the club is on the verge of a major overhaul, or at least was, since they drafted former Tar Heels QB Drake Maye at number three. Now, the Boston fanbase has a lot riding on the 21-year-old playmaker, and it’s only normal for someone to succumb to the pressure of replacing the GOAT; however, Maye appears quite unfazed.
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With the introduction of Drake Maye and the addition of Jeord Mayo a few months prior, it’s safe to say that the Patriots are ready to start over. Despite the big shoes to fill, Drake Maye started to show his class at his very first press conference as a Patriots QB. He had his response ready when compared to Brady’s legacy, which positioned the Patriots as a dynasty.
“Tom Brady’s the GOAT. It’s easy to say that,” Drake said. “He’s the best that ever played this game. I’m not gonna be Tom Brady, so I’m just going to be Drake Maye and from there I’m just trying to learn from him. Hopefully get to know him a little bit and other than that, just try to soak it up — and be a sponge and try to learn all I can from him — and he’s the man in that town.”
The former North Carolina star sounded stoked after becoming a part of a franchise that has an enormous legacy in the sport. With that, it was also clear in his eyes that he was eager to prove the narrative wrong about how the Patriots were washed up after Brady’s exit.
Drake Maye Reacts to the Narrative of the Fallen Patriots
With a new head coach in place, the Patriots were deemed to be one of the worst places for a draftee to land. Drake Maye, however, feels that this sentiment couldn’t be further from the truth. He believes that the 6-time Super Bowl-winning team excelled at defense last year. He acknowledges the shortcomings, but at the same time, he is very confident that they have the ability to reach great heights.
“They’re wrong I think,” Maye said of the naysayers. “They had that defense last year, had a lot of teams at low points. Looking forward to helping any way offensively and looking forward to being with Coach Mayo in his first year. Congrats to him. And I think anybody who’s saying that, hopefully, we’ll find out this coming season. Just going to work hard with the guys and prove them wrong.”
The Patriots have certainly drafted a skilled young QB, but as per Bill Belichick, they need to put the work in before letting him take the helm. Belichick even pointed out how Drake Maye needed to improve his footwork and asserted that the rookie isn’t very adept at utilizing the pocket. On the other hand, CJ Stroud felt Maye was possibly the most NFL-ready QB in the class. Thus, whether the Patriots have mined their gem is yet to be seen.
