The New England Patriots were destined to fall from their pedestal after Tom Brady either chose to leave (which he did) or retire, especially since Bill Belichick failed to have a proper succession plan, and that's exactly what happened. They experimented with some quarterbacks, Cam Newton at first, and used the 15th overall pick in the draft on Mac Jones, neither of whom turned out well.
It ultimately led them to Drake Maye in last year's draft, selecting the UNC alum with the third overall pick, and it has already proven to be one of the best decisions the franchise has made in the last five years.
Although mostly everyone outside New England celebrated their downfall over the last five years, the Bills being the most notable, Maye and the addition of Mike Vrabel have ensured that wouldn't last any longer, as they currently lead the league with an 11-2 record, all on the back of a 23-year-old quarterback on the brink of winning the MVP award in his second season.
It's a nightmare scenario for the NFL, which has historically hated the Patriots' success, and based on what FS1's Colin Cowherd just said about Maye, the league is in deep trouble moving forward now that the Patriots have found their next franchise player.
Colin Cowherd says what Patriots fans have been longing for about Drake Maye
While discussing the Patriots' latest win over the Giants on Monday Night Football, Cowherd spoke about how great Maye has already shown to be, even going as far as labeling him an "all-timer," meaning he is one of very few quarterbacks who come into the league and show all the traits of someone who will be around and successful for a long time.
It's exactly what the NFL, and the Patriots' biggest foes, were hoping not to be true, but all the signs are already pointing to Maye being the legitimate successor to Brady, just five years later.
"You get a franchise quarterback every year. You get an all-timer about every 4 or 5 years. I think we found one."@colincowherd thinks Drake Maye has a chance to be special in New England pic.twitter.com/i9t9S6nI3V
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) December 2, 2025
It might be premature to make such a claim, as Maye has only started 26 games so far, but he's clearly shown enough for someone as experienced as Cowherd in the industry to come to this conclusion, and that at least holds some weight.
In the eyes of Patriots fans, it's exciting to hear this kind of praise for their quarterback, after waiting five long years to find the rightful heir to the greatest quarterback of all time, and although it took a bit longer to get there, Maye exemplifies everything New England has wanted in a quarterback and should be successful for a long time.
That couldn't be worse for someone like Roger Goodell, but couldn't be better for Patriots fans hoping to stick it to him for as long as he's Commissioner!