The New England Patriots are planning to bring rookie quarterback Drake Maye into the fold, but not just yet. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Maye won’t have a full-on redshirt year, but the team will be patient and wait for the right moment to put him on the field ¹. That moment will likely come when the Patriots’ offense can support a rookie quarterback, which wasn’t the case in their 24-3 loss to the New York Jets.
Coach Jerod Mayo doesn’t want to shatter Maye’s confidence by making him play behind an unreliable offensive line, which has been a liability so far ² ³. In their loss to the Jets, Jacoby Brissett took five sacks, and Maye was sacked twice in garbage time ². However, Maye has been making progress, particularly with his footwork, and has been receiving about 30% of the first-team reps in practice.
As of now, Brissett remains the starter, ranking 15th in the NFL with a 54.0 adjusted QBR and 30th with 368 total passing yards ¹. But with the Patriots listed as 10.5-point underdogs against the 49ers, Brissett’s job security may be tested soon ¹. It’s likely that Maye will take over at some point this season, but the team wants to ensure the offense is ready to support him.
