The New England Patriots had one of the most magnified position battles in the NFL this preseason, as fans eagerly awaited the decision of who the starting quarterback would be. In the end, head coach Jerod Mayo went with veteran Jacoby Brissett over rookie Drake Maye as the man who will be under center when the Patriots kick off their season on Sept. 8.
Many were curious how the rookie, who the Patriots selected with the No. 3 overall pick in this spring’s NFL Draft, would handle the news. The former North Carolina star took it quite well according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
“I’m here to help Jacoby and keep the vibes in the quarterback room up,” Maye said. “Nothing’s going to change. I’m still rooting for him. … Him being almost 10 years in the NFL, me being in my first year, it’s a learning experience. I grill him with questions.”
Brissett, who has a neighboring locker to Maye, said that the rookie told him hew as there for him and that “whatever he needs from me, I’ll do the same.”
Patriots should be excited about Drake Maye after strong preseason
Drake Maye may not be the Week 1 starter for the Patriots as a rookie, but he showed enough to instill confidence that he will be the long term solution for the franchise behind center. New England has been in quarterback purgatory since om Brady’s departure, but Maye has what it takes to fill that gap.
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His work this preseason wasn’t extensive, but it was more than enough to keep hope alive. All of Maye’s college traits were on display: arm talent, creativity and athleticism, to name a few. However, he also showed the efficiency and processing ability that you need to be an NFL quarterback, and some things that were more inconsistent when he was at North Carolina.
His performance in the final preseason game, a 20-10 loss against the Commanders, was the best of the bunch. Maye finished 13-for-20 with 126 yards and a touchdown and also ran the ball three times for 17 yards. He repeatedly got the ball to the right spot and made cool, calm and timely decisions. All of these are great signs if you’re a Patriots fan.
It remains to be seen when Maye will take the first team reps for the Patriots, and largely depends on how Jacoby Brissett plays behind a very suspect offensive line with below average weapons. Whenever Jerod Mayo decides to make the move, Maye has shown that he’s ready for the chance.
