The New England Patriots may have to implement their future way ahead of schedule. The team is under new rule after Bill Belichick was sent packing, and they also will have a new quarterback for this season. The question is who will it be?
New England Patriots Have Real Quarterback Competition
The team brought in Jacoby Brissett with the intention to play him while their No. 3 pick Drake Maye develops as a prospect. The general sentiment for most of the offseason was that the veteran Brissett would be the week 1 starter with Maye taking his time to take on that role.
However, new head coach Jerod Mayo has now walked that back after their recent preseason game saying that it is a real competition right now. He did not reveal who would be the week 1 starter, only that it could be either Brissett or Maye.
“For me, we always talk about competition, and that’s at all spots,” Mayo said after the Patriots’ loss to the Eagles on Thursday night.
“So, even if Drake beats out Jacoby [Brissett], I mean, he earned that role…When he’s ready to go, and if he’s better than Jacoby, then he’ll play; he’ll start.”
Maye has steadily progressed throughout the offseason but has tons of more work to do to be a successful quarterback in the NFL. However, Brissett has not looked like a veteran, making mistakes in practice and the preseason.
Drake Maye Inching Closer To Week 1 Start
While the initial plan for the team seemed to wait on Maye’s growth for a longer period, they are now singing a new song. Maye will start the moment he is ready to. He saw more reps in week 2 of the preseason and he took advantage of that, showing off his athleticism with his feet and arm.
“That was always the plan to play him more,” Mayo said about Maye’s increased snap count after the game.
“It was the plan to play him in the third quarter so we can go through some of those adjustments and see if he can handle that stuff, and he did.”
🚨EXCLUSIVE: Different angles from the All22 of #Patriots rookie Drake Maye THROWING A 55+ YARD BOMB tonight.
😱😱😱
It’s very few quarterbacks in the NFL that can make that throw with such precision & so far downfield.
NEW ENGLAND HAS A SPECIAL TALENT
pic.twitter.com/UNzVPssxP2— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) August 16, 2024
Maye had a beautiful deep ball to fellow rookie Jevon Baker, but he was unable to hold on. While Maye has a lot of elements in his game to work on and refine, there is also tons to be optimistic about with his raw natural abilities.
Maye has been saying all the right things since being drafted, and he just wants to show what he is made of and to prove himself to the men in the locker room.
“I think every time you get out there you get more and more confident,” he told reporters after the loss to Philadelphia.
“Other than that, more reps are only going to help me. At the end of the day, I’m just fortunate to be able to get out there get some reps, and make the most of my opportunities.”
We will have to wait and see what the next three weeks hold, and what the coaching staff will decide to start the season. It would not be the smartest thing in the world to rush a 21-year-old quarterback into the line of fire, however, if he is the best quarterback in the building by far, they may not have a decision in the matter.
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