Over the last five years, the Patriots have struggled to regain their relevance after spending twenty years dominating the rest of the NFL with unparalleled supremacy. While it was expected to happen in the absence of Tom Brady, it was not anticipated that the franchise would fall into the massive hole they have, which only worsened at the tail end of Bill Belichick's tenure.
Finding their next quarterback made it nearly impossible for the team to be competitive, which is something the rest of the league took notice of.
It brought us one of the more iconic images of the last few years when a Patriots vs. Steelers game was advertised for Sunday Night Football in 2023, as Belichick was shown on the graphic alongside T.J. Watt, instead of their quarterbacks.
Bill Belichick vs. T.J. Watt. The big matchup. pic.twitter.com/kERyFOhgCl
— Michael Hurley (@michaelFhurley) December 1, 2023
A lot has changed since then, which fortunately includes a new head coach and what already appears to be their next franchise quarterback. Although it might be a bit early to get too excited over the Mike Vrabel-Drake Maye era, it's certainly something the NFL is hyping ahead of the Patriots' first Sunday Night Football game of the season next week.
The NFL just put the league on notice by proving the Patriots are back
New England is back on track to becoming a force once again, even if they are in their infancy at this point, as proven by the newest graphic to advertise next week's primetime game.
Instead of Mike Vrabel vs. Josh Allen, Drake Maye is front and center to represent the Patriots in the big AFC East showdown, proving that there has been a significant change in Foxboro that goes far beyond New England fans.
As for next Sunday night… pic.twitter.com/1G5NowhmcN
— Brian Hines (@iambrianhines) September 29, 2025
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This might not mean much in the big scheme of things, as it doesn't significantly impact the Patriots' season or their chances against a perennial Super Bowl contender. However, it does show that there is a belief in Maye as their next quarterback, and it's not just the fans who share this belief.
It's an exciting development for a team and fan base that has endured a lot of unfortunate luck over the last five years, even if most other teams would welcome that downfall after the Patriots dominated the league for as long as they did, winning six Super Bowls.
The rise of Maye, however, brings some optimism back about the Patriots' future, making it seem like they are finally on the right path and should be a competitive team sooner rather than later.