The discourse surrounding the New England Patriots for most of the 2024 season has been far from positive, with most headlines revolving around the idea that Robert Kraft made a mistake in firing longtime head coach Bill Belichick. Stemming from that, because the team has fallen to a 3-10 record, a large portion of the fanbase believes Jerod Mayo was not and has proven he isn't the right guy for the job, hoping significant changes will be made to the coaching staff next offseason.
There's a lot of debate surrounding the roster, too, especially since it appears they have finally found their next franchise quarterback in rookie Drake Maye. The fear of the inexperienced staff ruining his potential in the league has grown stronger as the season has progressed, even more so when reflecting upon Mac Jones' tenure in New England.
But regardless of what their record says about the team, it's not all doom and gloom in Foxboro, even if it feels that way on game day. It certainly felt anything but negative after their latest loss to the Colts in Week 13, yet some influential voices still share optimistic takes about the Patriots' future.
Perhaps one of the most respected is Patriots Hall of Famer Tedy Bruschi. He recently spoke with Musket Fire about his partnership with Abbott and shared his unpopular take on how fans should look at what has happened during the 2024 season.
Tedy Bruschi shares his belief in Jerod Mayo and why there are good things to take from this year
Earlier this week, Bruschi was asked about the current state of the Patriots and despite the overwhelming frustration from fans and the media what was something he was excited about to take away from the 2024 season.
It might not be easy for many to think of anything positive beyond Drake Maye, something Bruschi certainly agrees with, but he is also a firm believer in patience while also remembering what the expectations were for the 2024 season given the circumstances, something many fans appear to have already forgotten.
"I guess the the number one, reason for me to be excited would be Drake Maye and the the progress that he's shown. I look to the beginning of the season. And I know it's hard sometimes for fans to -- I'll just sort of just look at a big picture role on what this team is. But going into this season, I did not have any Super Bowl goals for this team.
And I think there's a lot of fans that could say, "Heck yeah, Tedy. I didn't think this team was gonna win a Super Bowl this year." So then what really is the goal? I mean, is it to beat the Colts and be a 4 win team?
Is it to win more games and be a 5 or 6 win team? What's the main goal of the season? Well, the 3rd overall pick was a quarterback. And does that quarterback provide you with hope in terms of what's what what in terms of moving forward? And the answer is yes.
The answer is yes. You have got a first time starting quarterback, a rookie. You've got a lot of first time coaches that are in their roles. Everyone is learning as they go. And all I wanna see is progression."
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While there's certainly an argument to be made about the team's progression and the appearance that they're actually regressing as the season goes on, that can't be said about Maye, who continues to impress despite the unfavorable circumstances he was placed in with a less than ideal offensive line and lack of offensive firepower.
Finding the right quarterback for the team is not easy for any team in the league, as the Patriots have shown since Tom Brady left in 2020, but it's the most critical position to fill for their future success. Fortunately, that already appears squared away with Maye, so their biggest concern for the past four years is dealt with.
That will allow the Patriots to focus their efforts elsewhere during free agency next year, in which they are projected to have some of the most cap space to spend, and in the 2025 NFL Draft. They are expected to have a high first-round selection, putting them in the perfect position to fill a major roster hole with top-tier talent or even trade back to acquire more picks.
Fans can't take that for granted, and if everything else doesn't look good, it will need to be addressed during the offseason. But, as Bruschi alluded to, patience is key, and the Patriots could be in a far better spot next year than most believe at this point in the season.