Walking as the starting QB in the New England Patriots‘ locker room doesn’t just come with immense pressure; it brings along a statue-sized legacy framed in countless highlights, a whole gallery of iconic plays, and endless conversations about one name: Tom Brady. But for Drake Maye, those highlights aren’t pressure; they’re a blueprint to follow. He’s watched Brady’s plays for days, and when he was asked what stood out to him, he said, “Easy. He always knew where to go with the football, beating blitzers, knowing before the snap what to do. His feet were always on the ground, ready to throw.” 

Since day 1, Maye has been treated like the franchise quarterback, considering he walked into the Patriots’ locker room as the team’s No. 3 overall pick. But Maye’s tone is telling. He talks like a student, not a successor. And the proof lies in the numbers: Maye’s rookie season was solid but imperfect. In 13 games, he completed 66.6% of his passes for 2,276 yards, with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, finishing the season with an 88.1 passer rating. Furthermore, he also set a Patriots rookie record by throwing a touchdown pass in eight straight games, a sign that, even in a rebuilding offense, he could manufacture consistent scoring moments.

Maybe that’s why the sophomore isn’t running away from the ‘Brady Pressure’  but rather embracing it. It reflects in what he recently told WEEI, “Yeah, I wouldn’t say pressure. I think it’s just appreciation for what he did, what he did here, how he played the position, how he loved to win and wanted to win, and how they did win. I think that’s the biggest part. And I think definitely just [watching] old tape of him with some of the same concepts of how he did things is pretty cool to watch.” 

Following in Brady’s shadow isn’t something a young QB can thrive on; that’s why Maye is aiming to bring that same mental acuity and mechanical precision to his own game as he works to establish himself as New England’s long-term solution at quarterback, especially having taken over the starting job from veteran Jacoby Brissett in 2024. He concluded by saying, “But I wouldn’t say pressure. Just trying to – I was drafted maybe five years after he left here. So I wouldn’t say really any pressure.” That statement frames the way Maye wants to think about the past: as film to study, not a trophy case he must live inside.

That stance matters in context. The Patriots are still an organization in transition, coming off a bruising 4–13 campaign in 2024, their worst record since 1992, when they finished with 2 wins and 14 losses. For Drake Maye, this season isn’t just about the ‘Brady Pressure’ but leading, winning, and shining like him. An NFL giant like the Patriots cannot have another season like the one that preceded it. That is why they brought in Mike Vrabel, and the offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels, a key architect of Brady’s Patriots offense, is back. So Maye has all the tools, now, can he make the team better?

HC Mike Vrabel has QB Drake Maye under a microscope

The Patriots, following a dominant 48–18 preseason opener against the Washington Commanders, might have ended the day on a high, but for new HC Mike Vrabel, the flaws were more visible than the glory. Though a protection breakdown from a miscommunication between rookies Will Campbell and Jared Wilson brought defenders on him in a hurry, the second-year quarterback’s choice to stretch the play, rather than to absorb the sack or sail it out of bounds, was a clear lapse in judgment. And Vrabel, even in a dominant victory, laid out the context for Drake Maye: this isn’t a developmental sandbox.

“That’s a bad decision and I think we’re going to need better from him and I think he knows that and I think that’s obvious,” Vrabel said while speaking to WEEI. “Wasn’t there and we just have to be able to find a way to get rid of the football or take a sack and punt and play defense. But to the defense’s credit, they forced a field goal and I think that was missed. But it was a sudden-change opportunity.” 

Maye lacked a head coach with Vrabel’s level of experience in his rookie year, but Monday’s remarks made it clear that Vrabel expects him to stand on his own and keep progressing into the franchise quarterback the Patriots believe he can be. And he didn’t end his night on that fumble. He bounced back from it on his second and final series, guiding the offense 61 yards in eight plays before finishing it himself with a five-yard touchdown run that pushed the Patriots’ lead to 14-0.

While the evening had its share of rough moments, Maye’s ability to settle in, rebound, and finish with a confident scoring drive offered a glimpse of his growth. Paired with Vrabel’s no-nonsense expectations and the backdrop of Brady’s towering legacy, it was a reminder that the road ahead will demand both discipline and adaptability, things that Maye doesn’t lack at all. The Patriots will open their season against Tom Brady’s Las Vegas Raiders, and perhaps the passing of the torch is inevitable now.