Is the Patriots’ renaissance under Drake Maye upon us?

By Katie Jamroga

When Tom Brady announced his departure from the New England Patriots in March 2020, viewers and fans collectively realized there would never be a team quite like the one he led for 20 seasons again. After six Super Bowl wins, three Most Valuable Player awards, and having the most passing yards of any Patriots quarterback, it is unlikely that there will ever be another Brady.

This fact was proven true when Cam Newton took the reins and became the Patriots’ starting quarterback in 2020. The season was one of Newton’s career worsts and one of the worst of New England’s starting quarterbacks in general. He threw eight passing touchdowns in 15 games — worse than some quarterbacks do in one month — had five different games with zero passing touchdowns, and got benched twice in blowout games. On paper, Newton was unproductive and ineffective for the Patriots’ scoring.

Then comes Mac Jones, who played for three seasons as quarterback, starting in 2021. At first, fans thought Jones would be the light at the end of the tunnel after the Newton season. He was one of the best in his rookie class in 2021, leading the Patriots to the playoffs and ending their season with a winning record (10-7). However, Jones’ honeymoon period in New England soon came to an abrupt end. 

In 2022, when the team decided to merge their Offensive Coordinator, Josh McDaniels, with Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia in a collaborative approach, the offense fell apart. It was evident that Jones was losing confidence in himself and in his team because of this decision. His ratings, performance, and quality of play rapidly decreased before things officially hit the fan in 2023. The team scored below 14 points per game on average. Jones was frequently benched, and he was statistically one of the most underperforming quarterbacks in the league by the end of the season.

But soon came a glimmer of hope for the team. In 2024, the Patriots drafted North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye with the third overall pick. Whether the rookie would perform well remained a question to the Patriots’ fanbase, but the fact that things would be changing on the team’s offensive front kept fans excited.

This excitement continued into Maye’s rookie season with the Patriots. Although he did not do perfectly as the starting quarterback, he showed great improvement from the Jones era. Maye had a higher competition rate, higher rushing yardage, a lower interception count, and a higher passer rating. Right away, Maye’s consistency and higher effectiveness than Jones brought a sense of comfort back to New England, although small.

Now, in 2025, it is safe to say that Maye is not just a football player: he is a New England phenomenon. 

First of all, Maye’s stats sheet is objectively one of the best of all the quarterbacks in the league. He has a 74.1% completion percentage — considerably larger than normal NFL averages. He has thrown only four interceptions while scoring 17 touchdowns, a strong ratio for a professional quarterback. He also has a passer rating of about 116.9, placing him among the best quarterbacks in the league. Not to mention, he has led the Patriots to an 8-2 record, tied with the Colts for the best in the NFL. He is already in the MVP conversation after week 10. While talking about Maye’s impressive stats could go on for pages, the real impact Maye has had on New England goes far beyond what could be listed on paper.

Especially online, Patriots fans have begun worshipping Maye as a deity or higher power. After managing to bring what feels like some of the Brady era magic back, New England has erupted with adoration for their QB1. Memes have circulated on social media platforms praising Maye as a universal gift, and accounts such as @drakemayelover on Instagram have amassed hundreds of thousands of followers just from posting about their love for the quarterback. 

Even at New England sporting events having nothing to do with football, fans have been spotted on jumbotrons wearing Maye merch. Last week, Patriots’ offensive tackle Will Campbell went to a Boston Celtics basketball game with Maye, where they were shown on the big screen. The camera then panned to a crazily excited young boy wearing an “I love Drake Maye” shirt.

In all, Drake Maye has pulled New England out of the hole of depressing football Sundays and back into a place of hope and Super Bowl aspirations. Time will only tell if Maye will pivot and become another case of Mac Jones, or capitalize on this support and secure another Lombardi Trophy for the Patriots.