The New England Patriots are considering starting the Drake Maye era in Boston much earlier than they originally planned. As reported by Gridiron previously, Maye has been gaining reaction in camp and preseason to become the week 1 starter, as head coach Jerod Mayo has been vocal about the real competition going on for the team:
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.”
Jerod Mayo Hints At Drake Maye Being The Starter By Week 1
While Mayo has said at times earlier in camp that Jacoby is still QB1, he is now saying that Maye is pro-ready:
“You come into camp, and you want to have an idea of how it’s going. It’s still a competition, and Jacoby is still QB1,” the first-year coach said. “It’s a competition amongst all the guys on the field, including the quarterback spot.”
Mayo, in this week of camp, voiced his confidence that Maye is now fully ready to lead the team:
“100 percent I think he’s ready to run a huddle,” Mayo said
While Mayo said that Jacoby is still in the top spot, the team will not know who the week 1 starter will be until after watching the film of the last preseason game:
“I would say by Monday night we should know who the quarterback is,” he said. “Sunday night game, it’s always hard to crank through the film. Especially on the road. But I think Monday-Tuesday we’ll probably know who it is. Now, that doesn’t mean I’ll tell you who it is.”
This means that the competition is alive and well and that Maye can and probably will surpass Jacoby by the time the season starts. It may be the wrong decision to start Maye so quickly, especially as he is just a 21-year-old young man.
The greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady, recently shared how starting young quarterbacks immediately can be very problematic. However, the Patriots are in a position where they do not need to put any pressure on Maye, similar to Andrew Luck or Peyton Manning’s first seasons in the NFL. They can give him a long leash to make many mistakes and develop over the years.
WOW: TOM BRADY SHREDS THE MODERN DAY #NFL FOR RUINING YOUNG QUARTERBACKS & not developing them pic.twitter.com/FsZba97R28
“I didn’t start my first year. ITHINK ITS A TRAGEDY THAT WE ARE FORCING THESE ROOKIES TO PLAY EARLY, because we dumbed the game down to allow them to play.”…
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) August 20, 2024
Drake Maye Is The Real Thing
Maye started camp looking like a real rookie with a lot of natural raw talent, but also making many mistakes. However, he has made incredible progress in such a short period, as well as making comparisons to Andrew Luck, as Maye is a super football nerd in the film room and meetings as well.
🚨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
This has not only been revealed by the Patriots staff but also by other coaching staff that interviewed Maye before the draft. Additionally, Maye has been saying all the right things in the media as he is intent on taking the starting role:
“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.”
Maye has all the tools to take over the question is when he will do it this season. It could be as early as week 1.
Related: New England Patriots: Drake Maye Gaining Ground as Top Contender for Week 1 Starter
