A lot has changed for the Patriots over the last five years, and unfortunately, most of it has not been for the better. Tom Brady leaving the team had a tremendous impact on and off the field, with the most noticeable effect being the team's production, or lack thereof.
But it also affected players' desire to sign with the team in free agency, as many throughout the dynasty wanted to play with the legendary quarterback or be on a team with a high chance of winning a Super Bowl. Now that he was gone, there wasn't much reason for anyone to come to Foxborough, until maybe now.
Although Drake Maye is only in his second season, and Mike Vrabel is in his first year as the team's head coach, they've already made a tremendous impact on the roster and players across the league. Many signed with the team specifically for one or the other, and we're now hearing that even a recently retired Patriots player considered putting retirement on hold just to be able to play a season with the young quarterback.
Not only that, but he also thinks Maye's performance could lead to free agents wanting to come to New England now and in the future.
Drake Maye's impact on the Patriots is going beyond the win/loss record
The rise of the Patriots and Maye has been a major topic of discussion in New England over the past two weeks, so much so that even David Andrews had to join in on the hype.
While discussing their recent surge to the top of the division, the retired center admitted that he wanted to play in 2025, mostly so he could play alongside Maye, and admitted that he sees the Brady-effect in him that could really put the Patriots in a good spot next offseason.
"The highest compliment I could give somebody ... me wanting to play again this year, (Maye) had a lot to do with that. ... In reality, it was like, 'I want to play with this (guy).' ... I believed in him.
When you're a lineman, you don't get the ball. But I think what I'm trying to say is, hopefully now these pass-catchers are seeing what Drake's doing, and you're going to see the Tom Brady type of effect where people are like, 'OK, I could go to so-and-so (team) for this and come to the Patriots for this. I'm not just going to take that offer."
Besides the obvious from Andrews' statement about wanting to play with Maye, another significant factor for the quarterback will be attracting good players in free agency, which is exactly what the Patriots need to build a competitive roster.
They have accomplished that in a lot of ways this offseason, but there are plenty of holes that need to be addressed with star players next year. And now they have a quarterback who can attract players of that caliber and could dish out some big money to get them in the door.