FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The honeymoon phase is over, and the torch hasn’t just been passed; it’s been torched. With the New England Patriots set to face the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX on Sunday, the noise isn’t coming from the opponent’s sideline. It’s coming from the ghost of the dynasty past.
Drake Maye, just 23 years old and in his second NFL season, has done the impossible: he resurrected the Patriots. But according to WEEI radio host Ken Laird, the architect of the first dynasty, Tom Brady, isn’t exactly sending heart emojis. Laird dropped a bombshell on the “Ken & Curtis” show Tuesday, suggesting the seven-time champion is “rattled beyond belief” by Maye’s rapid ascent.
The “12 Plays” Comment That Sparked the Fire
The controversy stems from Brady’s recent admission that he had only seen “12 plays” of Maye over the last two years. For a student of the game like Brady, who broke down film for breakfast, that claim smells fishy to Boston media veterans.
Laird didn’t hold back on the WEEI airwaves.
“I am stunned that Tom Brady lied and said he’s only seen 12 of his plays in two years… He is rattled beyond belief at this success that Drake is having.” — Ken Laird, WEEI’s “Ken & Curtis”
The timing is brutal. The Patriots unveiled a massive 12-foot bronze statue of Brady at Gillette Stadium just last August. Now, the man cast in bronze seems to be casting a shadow over the kid trying to bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Foxborough. Brady won six rings here. He won another immediately in Tampa. He knows what a meteoric rise looks like—and apparently, he doesn’t like seeing someone else in the cockpit.
MVP Implications and The Seattle Test
While the radio waves burn, Maye has business to handle. The North Carolina product isn’t just playing for a ring; he’s hunting hardware. Maye is a finalist for the 2025-2026 NFL MVP award, which will be announced at the NFL Honors this Thursday night.
The competition is stiff. The finalists include:
- Drake Maye (Patriots)
- Matthew Stafford (Rams)
- Christian McCaffrey (49ers)
- Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars)
- Josh Allen (Bills – 2024 Winner)
If Maye secures the MVP and a Super Bowl ring in the same week, he achieves something Brady didn’t do until 2007 (MVP) and 2001 (Ring). The comparisons aren’t going away.
Sunday’s matchup against the Seattle Seahawks is a poetic twist. The Patriots and Seahawks gave us one of the greatest Super Bowl endings in history a decade ago. Now, a new #10 leads New England. The Seahawks’ defense has been ferocious, but Maye has shredded coverages all January.
Fanatics and Bills GM Under Fire
The league news cycle isn’t all about Maye. Tensions are high elsewhere:
- Fanatics Backlash: Fans are tearing into the merchandise giant for a “tone-deaf” statement regarding delayed Super Bowl gear. “Unacceptable” is trending on X (formerly Twitter).
- Buffalo Burning: Bills GM Brandon Beane is taking heat for NSFW comments regarding Sean McDermott’s firing criticism. Fans are calling the executive a “loser” as the Bills watch the Patriots take the spotlight yet again.
What’s Next
We are four days out from Super Bowl LX. The Patriots fly to the host city tomorrow. While Laird stirs the pot regarding Brady’s ego, Maye has remained radio silent on the drama. That silence speaks louder than Brady’s “12 plays” comment ever could.
If Maye hoists the trophy on Sunday, that bronze statue outside Gillette might start looking a little less like a shrine and a little more like history.
