David Andrews Says Drake Maye is Having 'The Tom Brady Effect'

I think Patriots fans and even the media are to be commended. Generally speaking, the whole region has done it's absolute best to not default to the lazy, perfunctory, low-hanging fruit of comparing our new franchise quarterback with our former, retired, metahuman one. Which is not easy in a world that's geared to exactly that sort ridiculous, hyperbolic, clickurbation. Where everything new is exaggerated to the best there's ever been, like the Earth was formed 25 years ago. 

But it's also hard not to draw parallels between Drake Maye and Tom Brady because the second name seems to come up every time you do a dive into the first name's performances lately:

Well just to keep from getting too caught up in the hysteria - which believe me, I would actually enjoy doing - we've gotten a very sane and practical comparison between the two from the very rational and analytic man who knew was it was like to play with Brady on a very intimate level. I use that word with confidence since he had Brady's hands between his thighs for most of his career. 

Here's what David Andrews just told Brian Hoyer on their podcast:

"I think what I'm trying to say is, hopefully now these pass-catchers are seeing what Drake's doing, and you're going to see the Tom Brady type of effect where people are like, 'OK, I could go to so-and-so [team] for this and come to the Patriots for this. I'm not just going to take that offer. 

"Now it's like, 'I'm coming to New England because this guy is the deal and he's going to get me the ball, which is going to make me better, which is going to get me paid, and hopefully we have success.' All those factors."

To which Hoyer added, "The one thing that I've seen in 365 days is, he has made three years' worth of progressions, in my opinion, from where he was when he took his first start just a year ago today to where he is now." 

Listen, right now my focus is entirely focused on the here and now. The Patriots are emerging as a team everyone is talking about. As it stands, their schedule is jam-packed with 1-4 teams, a Bengals team that is in a tailspin without Joe Burrow, and two games left against the Jets. Plus they've already done the hard work by winning two division games on the road, which was a tough get, even in the best of times. 

Plus, Maye is fifth in the league in passing yards, second in completion %, and sixth in passer rating. So after five full seasons of wandering in the desert, searching for hope, I'm only interested in the success that's happening in front of my tired, bloodshot, vision-corrected eyes. For now, 2026 Old Balls and all the future, even Older Balls are going to have to take care of themselves. 

But nevertheless, Andrews and Hoyer have a great point. In fact, based simply on his rookie season, we've already seen the Drake Maye Effect in effect:

There's not a man, woman or child in New England who didn't watch with horror and frustration while the 2024 Patriots couldn't get anything done in free agency, despite having Saudi oil sheik money to throw around. It was a tough offseason for a fan base used to almost 20 years of guys taking pay cuts to come here. From Rodney Harrison to Randy Moss to Chris Long and dozens of others. Because they wanted to be part of something special. To chase rings. To play with a great quarterback and work for a coach who's universally respected. All of which were more important to them than money. 

The way Maye attracted Vrabel, together they'll attract others. The way a couple of planets or stars will collide, form something new, and create a gravitational field that pulls other celestial bodies into their orbit. And it all starts with getting the right star (in the other sense of the word) under center. 

Like I said, the focus is on what's in front of us. I'm happy Vrabel, with Maye's help, was able to attract a stellar cast of free agents like Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, Milton Williams, Harold Landry, Carlton Davis and Robert Spillane, just to name a few. But it's good to acknowledge all this is laying the foundation of bigger things to come. 

Not all comparisons between Maye and Brady are wrong. David Andrews nailed this one.