This season marks the beginning of a new era for the Patriots and Robert Kraft is excited to see it unfold on the football field.
New England will be without Bill Belichick or Tom Brady for the first time in over 20 years. Jerod Mayo has big shoes to fill as Belichick’s successor, and Drake Maye is under a lot of pressure as the potential savior of the franchise.
Kraft has had memorable interactions with the Patriots’ top playmakers in the past like Drew Bledsoe and Brady. He even had a solid relationship with Mac Jones before the 2021 first-round pick fell through in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Kraft revealed Tuesday what his first impressions of Maye were after New England selected him with the third pick in this year’s draft.
“The first thing I really liked was when we signed him and he came here and his three brothers came with him — the older brother plays basketball in Japan,” Kraft said on “Zolak & Bertrand,” according to 98.5 The Sports Hub. “And they all came. They’re a unit. They’re a strong family and they just told me about the type of support. I worry about these young guys that come here that have NO income and they don’t care about winning and they don’t care about the team. I also want to mention that he brought his girlfriend with him that he’s been with since seventh grade. He seems to have very solid, good values. He comes early, works hard and all the fundamentals are in place. This is a business and it’s something where they get highlighted and spoiled really quickly. And I think he has a good foundation.
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“I think we’re going to build something really special. I’m excited about the development of the coaching staff, it’s a big learning process. There’s a really positive atmosphere. The culture among the players and in the dressing room – but now we have to perform on the field.”
Kraft’s concerns about how money and the spotlight could affect a star player are certainly valid, considering Brady was one of the biggest winners in NFL history. The future Hall of Fame quarterback also stressed how important the team was to him, so it’s understandable why Kraft would want to value a playmaker who represents similar values.
Maye was fortunate enough to work with Brady’s former quarterback coach Clyde Christensen at North Carolina, and he’s also spoken with the Patriots Hall of Famer, so he has a good idea of what it takes to win the NFL. He still has to show it on the field, and it sounds like he has the full support of the owners.
