New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye has earned a much-needed endorsement from Tom Brady. The OG highlighted the young signal caller's mental toughness after a very challenging start to his professional career. 

Brady's praise emphasizes Maye's crucial resilience under a lot of pressure and offers reassurance to an anxious Foxborough fandom. Brady spoke about the same while talking to Fox Sports, “I think [his bounce back] shows a ton of mental toughness. He got off to a slow start. Look, he’s still a young quarterback. He’s only in Year 3. He’s got a great play caller in Josh McDaniels. They’re figuring out what they’re good at. That’s what the Patriots always do early in the season.”

“It’s situations where I, Tom Brady, feel like applying it. Drake, he’s been on fire the last three games. He’s calm in the pocket, making throws in big moments, and taking care of the ball. Does this team remind you of last year’s Pats all of a sudden? I think so.”

Maye and the Patriots will have another test on Thursday. The  Patriots QB is set to battle it out against the player selected two picks ahead of him in the 2024 NFL Draft: Bears QB Caleb Williams.

What is Maye’s mindset in all of this? 

While Maye seems to have hit his stride with the Patriots when it came to his planning and arm strength, the Patriots QB was very swift to deflect praise earlier this week.

He did instead prop up a Patriots offense that has delivered despite a bevy of injuries. “I think just getting back to trusting the guys around us, trusting myself, trusting what I’m seeing and just getting back to finding a groove early in the game,” Maye said, explaining his improved play. “I kind of mentioned earlier in the season about wanting to make a play so bad and just letting the game come to you. I think that’s one of the biggest things I’ve tried to focus on.”

He said that you have to play the right plays rather than the big plays. He tried to protect the football and realised that it was the right thing to do. Tom Brady's praise underscores a major turning point for Drake Maye and the New England Patriots. By overcoming early-season adversity, Maye has not only earned the respect of the franchise's greatest icon but has also re-established the Patriots as a legitimate threat in the AFC.

Written by

Tanushree Bhowmick

Edited by

Tanushree Bhowmick