TOM Brady told New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye to surround himself with greatness.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion gave the third overall pick some advice on how to succeed in the NFL.
And to do so, Brady, 46, reminisced about his early days in the league.
“I’m really lucky to be around him and I really like him,” Brady said of Maye, 21, in an interview with Yahoo Sports.
“I’ve heard great things about him.
“But his opportunity will really be what he makes of it, how he wants to develop it and how he wants to attack his profession – like we all do.
“That’s not where you are when you’re 22. That’s who you are when you’re 22.
“Who inspires you to be better? Who develops you?
“I was very lucky. I look at my career, I was looking at other competitors like Peyton Manning, like Steve McNair, Vinny Testaverde was playing for [New York] Jets. Brett Favre was playing.”
Brady acknowledged that his suggestion falls into the easier said than done category.
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That’s because the three-time NFL MVP thinks that, overall, there is less talent in the league compared to when he was taking his first steps in the early 2000s.
“I was looking at quarterbacks that were unbelievable,” Brady said.
“And I had unbelievable coaches. The competition was tough. My coaches were tough. I had to grow and develop.
“I wish those [young] guys have the same thing. I just don’t see it the same way I did back then [in my career].
“I see less developed players, less developed coaches.
“They are no longer teaching. There is less time to teach.
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“There are many reasons for this. … First of all, we have to become aware of this and then we need to implement some things to make these changes.”
Maye is not guaranteed to be a starting QB during his rookie year.
Veteran signal-caller Jacoby Brissett will likely take over the role early, executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said last month.
Wolf didn’t rule out the possibility of North Carolina playing some snaps during the 2024 regular season.
“I’m sure it will be a collaborative approach, as it has been so far, with all the big decisions we’ve made,” he said.
“All four quarterbacks we have on the roster right now are working hard and ready to go.”
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