Foxborough, Massachusetts – After the New England Patriots’ 32-13 victory over the Cleveland Browns at Gillette Stadium, one small moment sent all of Patriots Nation into an explosion. During a live interview with Rob Gronkowski on FOX NFL, Gronk unexpectedly opened FaceTime with his legendary former teammate – Tom Brady. And in just 5 short minutes, that conversation became the most shared topic in the NFL this week. 

Brady, appearing on the screen with a radiant smile, could not hide his excitement when talking about his successor: “I’ve been watching you for a few weeks now, and honestly – that’s the purest football I’ve seen at Gillette since I hung up my cleats. You have it all: the calmness, the accuracy, and the fighting spirit of a champion. You will become a new icon of New England, and I’m very proud to call you the next one.” Then Brady closed with the words that made Patriots Nation “explode”: “You will become a new icon of New England – keep that fire burning forever.”

Drake Maye – who had just delivered a perfect game with 297 yards and 3 touchdowns – simply bowed his head with a slight smile: “Hearing that from the GOAT is unbelievable. I’m not trying to be him, just trying to be worthy of this jersey.”

Maye’s numbers prove Brady’s words were anything but polite talk: 75.2% completion rate, 2,026 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions – leading the entire NFL in passer rating (118.7).

On social media, Patriots fans unanimously shared the video with the caption “The torch has officially been passed” – the torch has officially been passed. And from Brady’s smile to Maye’s composure, New England understands that a new chapter has truly begun — Drake Maye, the succeeding icon of the Patriots empire.