From the second that the Patriots picked Drake Maye in the 2024 NFL Draft, he was immediately under some of the most pressure that any player has dealt with in the organization in many years. It could be argued that Mac Jones dealt with a similar situation, but after he quickly fizzled, analysts and fans gave up and moved on well before he was traded.
Those expectations only heightened for Maye once he was given the start in Week 6, and his impressive performances since then have officially made him the true successor to Tom Brady that the Patriots have been looking for.