The conversation regarding who is the NFL's official greatest quarterback of all time continues to be a debate, despite Tom Brady proving time and time again that the label belongs to him. It should be inarguable at this point, but those outside New England refuse to concede and want to give the name to someone else.
When you play for the Patriots, however, you should probably agree that Brady is the ultimate GOAT, and not suggest someone else might be. That was a slight mistake Drake Maye made during his rookie season, when he referenced Aaron Rodgers, the Jets' quarterback at the time, as the best ever.
It certainly caught Patriots fans by surprise and generated some unfavorable headlines in the hours after that game. But he seems to have finally redeemed himself just over a year later, and it's probably time for fans to forgive him.
Drake Maye makes things right by referring to Tom Brady as the greatest of all time
During an appearance on WEEI this week, the quarterback was asked about the time he was most starstruck, and without much hesitation, Maye emphasized it was when he met Brady before his rookie season.
He referenced him as his No. 1 and the greatest to ever do it, which certainly goes against what he previously said about Rodgers last year.
Drake Maye on if he has ever been starstruck meeting somebody:
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) September 30, 2025
“Probably meeting Tom [Brady]. I met Tom, felt a little starstruck. I mean the greatest to ever do it. He’s probably up there at #1 for me. Anytime you see the best to do it, it’s pretty cool.”
(🎙️@WEEIAfternoons) pic.twitter.com/cZyVD7rPil
This is a good way to clean things up and get back in complete favor of New England fans.
Maye has already been impressive in his second season so far, and it will be interesting to see if there comes a time when Brady is able to discuss how he views his career currently and in the future. He has already received a lot of praise from analysts and even Patriots legends, like Ty Law, some of whom believe he is the best successor to Brady the team has seen, and the hope is that this will continue moving forward.
He will lead the offense in the toughest test of the season so far, when the Patriots head to Buffalo on Sunday night to take on the Bills for the first time this season. Although they are the clear underdogs in the fight, Maye has shown he can perform under pressure, so he certainly shouldn't be counted out.