It appears that the torch has been passed from Tom Brady to Drake Maye. Brady, a future Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Patriots to six Super Bowl wins, recently met New England's new quarterback and several other members of this year's rookie class during a meet up hosted by Fanatics.
Brady shared "invaluable advice and knowledge" to the rookies, according to Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin.
Tom 🤝 Drake.
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) May 19, 2024
📸: @michaelrubin pic.twitter.com/XN9PXQP5Bs
"I'll always cherish the opportunity to talk to these young men who are about to start a monumental chapter of their lives," Brady said of the experience on Instagram. "I would never be in the place I am today without the incredible people and mentors that came into my life at the right time and at the right place. There are too many to mention but I have been blessed in so many ways. I feel we should always use our experiences to help others and 'pay it forward' to see the next generation grow as well. So they can live their dreams and maximize their potential.
"We talked about life and a little football 😉, but from the tape I've been watching I think they have a great opportunity ahead. See you all on the road this year and I can't wait to watch your progress toward greatness with tremendous determination and discipline!"
Maye isn't Brady's successor, per se. Maye is actually succeeding Mac Jones, who was supposed to be Brady's long-term successor. But Jones failed to live up to pre-draft expectations, and he was ultimately dealt to Jacksonville earlier this offseason.
To his credit, Maye doesn't appear to be carrying the burden of playing Brady's position for Brady's old team. If anything, Maye is looking to create his own legacy with the Patriots and the NFL.
"Tom Brady's the G.O.A.T.," Maye said shortly after being drafted. "It's easy to say that. He's the best that ever played this game. I'm not going to be Tom Brady. So, I'm just going to try to be Drake Maye, and from there, I'm just trying to learn from him, hopefully get to know him a little bit. Other than that, just try to soak it up, be a sponge and try to learn all I can from him. He's the man of that town."
