Patriots have their ‘successor to Tom Brady’ in Drake Maye

Depend Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer Ty Legislation amongst those that have been impressed with what they’ve seen from Patriots QB Drake Maye to date this season. 

Maye has continued to point out indicators of creating into a real franchise QB in his second 12 months within the NFL, placing collectively one other environment friendly stat line on Sunday in a 42-13 win over the Panthers.

Maye accomplished 14-of-17 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns in opposition to Carolina whereas additionally recording a dashing landing. Extra importantly, he wasn’t knocked for a turnover after coughing up the ball twice in Week 3 in opposition to Pittsburgh.

Legislation — a three-time Tremendous Bowl champion in New England — believes Maye is doing excess of taking a step ahead in his growth. The previous Patriots star cornerback believes that Maye is giving New England followers what they’ve been ready for: a reliable star choice beneath heart. 

“He’s ‘the man,’ he’s confirmed himself,” Legislation said on “The Greg Hill Show” on Tuesday. “That is his second 12 months, when quarterbacks are inclined to both make progress or regress. As a result of whenever you’re a rookie, you actually don’t have that a lot to lose — we’re attempting to see and attempting to determine [things out at] a special degree.

“However for Drake Maye to make a step ahead — which we’ve seen some quarterbacks prior to now, they took a step again of their second 12 months. I believe this can be a good signal for New England. Now you gotta get some items round him so he can proceed that success. However I believe we now lastly have our successor to Tom Brady.”

That’s lofty reward from Legislation, contemplating that Maye has solely appeared in 17 whole video games within the NFL to date in his profession. 

However even with that small pattern measurement — and the anticipated rising pains on the sector — the No. 3 choose within the 2024 NFL Draft is placing himself in good firm together with his manufacturing to date this 12 months. 

By means of 4 video games, Maye leads all NFL quarterbacks in completion share (74.0 p.c), whereas rating fifth in passer ranking (109.4) and sixth in passing yards (988).

As noted by the Patriots communications department, Maye has joined Ravens QB Lamar Jackson and Payments QB Josh Allen as the one gamers in NFL historical past to file a 135.0+ passer ranking, 1 dashing TD, and 1 passing TD (min. 10 go att.) in a number of video games in a season.

Coming into Sunday’s showdown between the Patriots and Payments, Legislation believes that Maye can additional validate himself as a rising star within the league if he holds his personal in opposition to Allen. 

“I imply, general, sure — I believe he’s the most effective quarterback in NFL,” Legislation stated of Allen. “However, you gotta step up as a protection. I imply, he’s enjoying throughout good soccer. We all know what kind of expertise he’s, however I additionally suppose that Drake Maye — you realize, some could disagree, however I believe he’s enjoying [like a] prime 10 quarterback proper now due to what he’s working with. You already know what I imply?

“And he’s younger. So I consider within the quarterback that we have now, and the crew should consider that we have now a quarterback. Yeah, he is probably not Josh Allen, however we have now us a quarterback, too. And if we step up and play as a crew, we are able to take down anyone, particularly the Buffalo Payments. You gotta go in there and mainly say, ‘I ain’t respecting your ass in the present day, it’s time to play.’”

 

Conor Ryan is a workers author overlaying the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Pink Sox for Boston.com, a job he has held since 2023.