Every NFL team is founded on its best players who lead the way. For two decades, Tom Brady was the top dog in Foxborough, and everyone else just followed along. He was not only the best at his position, but he was a commanding presence, and when Brady spoke, everyone else listened.
Since 2019, there hasn't been a Patriots leader who was that singular player to whom everyone else looked for inspiration and sometimes a dose of harsh medicine when things aren't going in the right direction. Usually, of necessity, since he's the most important player on any NFL team, that role falls to the quarterback if he has the temperament to accept and run with it.
If your QB doesn't have that mentality, you probably have the wrong guy heading your offense and de facto your team, and it's time to move on and get one who can. If he's young and he does, he'll become the building block around which the whole edifice is built. There's no doubt, without a top QB, there's little chance a new Lombardi Trophy will be on the way.
Bleacher Report cites Drake Maye as the Patriots top building block
Bleacher Report's Moe Moton has written an article discussing every team's best building block player for the 2025 season and beyond. There's no shock in either the player or the position that he selected Drake Maye as the Patriots' example. Maye is the future of the franchise, and Moton acknowledges it.
"Last season, Drake Maye showed flashes despite a weak supporting cast. The New England Patriots didn't have a player who eclipsed 1,000 scrimmage yards in 2024. Hunter Henry, a 30-year-old tight end, led the club with 674 receiving yards and tied slot receiver DeMario Douglas for a team-leading 66 catches. Still, Maye threw for 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing 66.6 percent of his passes."
Moton credits Maye for what he accomplished as a rookie, despite not living up to the play of someone like Jayden Daniels, but also recognizes how much improvement Mike Vrabel has made to the offensive roster to boost the quarterback's performance in Year 2, headlined by the return of Josh McDaniels.
"Remember, play-caller Josh McDaniels worked well with a less athletic quarterback in Mac Jones during the 2021 term. Jones had his best season (a Pro Bowl year) under McDaniels before he became a journeyman backup. In 2025, Maye should be able to put his arm talent and improvisational skills on full display."
Maye outperformed his circumstances last season, and actually, did far better than a decent job. It was an exemplary performance and resulted in his earning a Pro Bowl nod. But the best is still to come.
Maye has just scratched the surface of his nascent talent
Moton neglected to mention how Maye received no first-team snaps until well into the season. That set his progress back dramatically, and the decision helped cost his coach his job if he had made it. Whoever did it was costly and not only stifled Maye's advancement but also tanked the season.
Regardless, when Maye finally did get his chance to take the reins of the offense, he made the most of it. The inevitable happened late, but it happened, and the Patriots' future was irrevocably changed. Maye is the quarterback, and hopefully, he'll assume the leadership role every quarterback should.
Another positive outgrowth of Maye's outstanding 2024 season is the impact it had on Mike Vrabel's taking the job as the Patriots' Head Coach and de facto general manager. Vrabel is a pro's pro. He knows that without a top quarterback, your chances are limited. He knew he had one in Drake Maye.
Vrabel is running the whole show now, and it's evident. Any doubters can compare the 2024 offseason to 2025's. The contrast between having a professional in charge and not is stark. That disparity should dispel any questions about who is now running the New England Patriots' football operation. It's Mike Vrabel, as it should be, and no one else.
The top echelon duo in Foxborough is Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye. They will stand with any in the NFL, and with the additions in personnel Vrabel made this offseason, the future is bright. Patriot Nation won't have to wait for results. The 2025 Patriots with Vrabel and Maye are a playoff team, until somebody proves they aren't.