Drake Maye’s rapid development into a legitimate franchise quarterback is an encouraging sign for the 2025 New England Patriots.

But Maye’s strong play — and his perception around the league — can also serve as a recruiting pitch to free agents and trade targets in future offseasons.

Just ask former Patriots center David Andrews, who suffered a season-ending injury in Week 4 of the 2024 season, two weeks before Maye took over as the Patriots’ starting QB.

Many thought Andrews would retire immediately after that season, but he attempted to return for the 2025 season — in part because he wanted to play alongside Maye.

“The highest compliment I could give somebody … me wanting to play again this year, (Maye) had a lot to do with that,” Andrews said on a new episode of The Quick Snap with co-host Brian Hoyer. “… In reality, it was like, ‘I want to play with this (guy).’ … I believed in him.”

Andrews didn’t get his wish, as New England released him in March. (Andrews announced his retirement in late May.) But the Patriots’ longtime center believes Maye will have a similar impact on players around the league by serving as an enticing reason to come to New England — just like Tom Brady was a one-man advertisement for so many years.

“When you’re a lineman, you don’t get the ball. But I think what I’m trying to say is, hopefully now these pass-catchers are seeing what Drake’s doing, and you’re going to see the Tom Brady type of effect where people are like, ‘OK, I could go to so-and-so (team) for this and come to the Patriots for this. I’m not just going to take that offer,'” Andrews said.

“Now it’s like, ‘I’m coming to New England because this guy is the deal and he’s going to get me the ball, which is going to make me better, which is going to get me paid, and hopefully we have success — all those factors.'”

The Patriots have missed out on a lengthy list of premier wideouts in recent years, from Tee Higgins to Chris Godwin to Brandon Aiyuk to Calvin Ridley to Cooper Kupp to DK Metcalf to DeAndre Hopkins (to name a few). But it’s possible we saw an early version of the “Maye Effect” at work this past offseason when Stefon Diggs signed with the Patriots. The four-time Pro Bowler instantly became the team’s most high-profile wideout since Julian Edelman and since has developed a strong rapport with Maye.

Will Diggs’ arrival and Maye’s continued ascendance attract more top-end talent to the Patriots? It might be too early to tell just five games into the regular season. But Maye clearly is on the right track toward becoming “that guy” in New England.

“The one thing that I’ve seen in 365 days is, he has made three years worth of progressions, in my opinion, from where he was when he took his first start just a year ago today, to where he is now,” Hoyer said of Maye.

Also in this episode:

Breaking down the Patriots’ impressive SNF performance.

Stefon Diggs’ impact in Buffalo.

How did the offensive line hold up against the Bills? 

Is there any concern with Maye taking too many hits? 

What do you want to see from the Patriots in New Orleans? 

Taking a look around the league.