Patriots set the stage for Drake Maye’s NFL debut

Drake Maye, the third overall pick by the New England Patriots, is slated to be the NFL’s newest starting quarterback in Week 6, according to ESPN’s NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

“Based on Jerod Mayo’s tone and answers at today’s press conference, as well as other sources, a QB change could soon be coming to New England, with rookie first-round pick Drake Maye potentially starting Sunday vs. the Texans,” Schefter said via social media on Monday.

The New England Patriots have lost their last four games, bringing their season record to 1-4. Their most recent loss came at home against AFC East Division rivals, the Miami Dolphins. The Patriots scored just 10 points, losing 15-10.

Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett barely completed half his passes and left the field for the third time this year without a passing touchdown. Brissett only threw for 160 yards and has yet to throw for over 200 yards in a game this season.

In his second stint with the Patriots, Brissett has mentored New England’s rookie quarterbacks, Drake Maye and Joe Milton.

“I’m the perfect person to mentor the guys, but I’m also the perfect person to start,” Brissett told NFL Network in August.

New England hopes Maye will be the franchise’s next great quarterback. But first-year head coach Jerod Mayo has prioritized easing him into that role.

“I have decided – Jacoby Brissett will be our starting quarterback this season. Now, in saying that, as an organization, we are 100% behind Jacoby.” Mayo told reporters in August after naming Brissett New England’s week one starter.

When asked if Maye would see any starting time in the 2024 season, Mayo responded, “I don’t want to get into hypotheticals. We can’t go into the season saying he’s going to go for X number of weeks. As long as Jacoby is going out there performing the way we all have confidence in him doing, he’ll be our quarterback this season.”

Following Sunday’s loss, Mayo’s tone toward the starting quarterback changed.

“Every single day, we are all being evaluated, and it’s no different now, Mayo said this week.

A week prior, Mayo’s tone was more Brissett-friendly, saying, “Jacoby is 100% our starter.”

Most NFL fans and experts agree that Maye isn’t going to turn the 2024 season around for the six-time Super Bowl champions. But, he might have had enough time to learn the ins and outs of being an NFL quarterback from Brissett during his five weeks as the Patriot’s starter. Maye might also give the Patriots a much-needed offensive boost.

The Patriot’s offense has gone static in recent outings. During their first two games, the Patriots averaged 15 points per game. In their last three, that number has been cut nearly in half.

The next few games for New England may be an excellent opportunity for Maye to get his feet wet in an NFL game and earn a few wins. The Texans will be challenging and are 4-1 and coming off an impressive overtime win against the Buffalo Bills.

However, the Patriots will face the Jaguars, the Jets, and the Titans after that. Each team has a losing record.

Will Jerod Mayo execute his plan of replacing Jacoby Brissett with Drake Maye? All signs look to be a go.