The New England Patriots fan base wondered how they'd ever replace Tom Brady after he left following the 2019 season. They went through options like Cam Newton and Mac Jones, but neither panned out. But in 2024, they drafted Drake Maye with the third overall pick out of North Carolina, and the rest was history.
In just his second year, Maye has been named a finalist for the NFL MVP Award. Perhaps more importantly, he led the Patriots to the Super Bowl in just his second year on the team, much like Brady did back in 2001.
During Super Bowl LX Media Night, Maye was asked what the best advice he's received from Brady. Maye said the seven-time Super Bowl champion told him "there's no shortcuts to putting in the work."
"There's no shortcuts to putting in the work."
— NFL (@NFL) February 3, 2026
Valuable advice from Tom Brady to Drake Maye 🙌
SBLX Opening Night on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/d8wHcBtzpY
"The proof's in the pudding, and knowing that the shortcuts that people try to take is not worth it. Get the most out of what you put into it," said Maye.
Drake Maye answers question on best advice he's ever received from Tom Brady
When Brady talks, young quarterbacks should listen. That is what Maye has done after having different conversations with the former Patriots legendary quarterback.
Maye showed promise as a rookie in 2024, but the Patriots could only pick up four wins. The roster was far from perfect, and the coaching staff was flawed. Last offseason, the Patriots fired Jerod Mayo as head coach and replaced him with Mike Vrabel, who brought along Josh McDaniels to be his offensive coordinator. That, and adding talent on offense has paid dividends for Maye, who took a real leap in his second season.
In the regular season, Maye threw for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns, and eight interceptions on a league-best 72.0 completion percentage. He also led the league in yards gained per pass attempt (8.9), net yards gained per pass attempt (7.78), and passer rating (113.5).
Maye's play in the playoffs has come under scrutiny, considering what he was able to accomplish in the 17 regular season games he's played in this year. But the most important thing is that he did enough to lead the team back to the Super Bowl. The hope is that Maye will be able to have that grand performance on the biggest stage of the year.
This is just trip one for Maye, and Patriots fans hope that this is one of many for him much like it was for Brady.