Drake Maye was somewhat of a polarizing prospect, as many were enamored by the prototypical size of 6-foot-4, 230 pounds and rushing ability, but other scouts questioned the decision-making. Regardless, it only takes one team and the New England Patriots chose him to be their quarterback of the future by selecting him with the third overall pick in the 2024 draft.
Wisely, the Patriots didn’t intend to throw Maye directly into the fire, as they signed veteran Jacoby Brissett to be the bridge. He started the first two games of the season, but in Week 3 on Thursday night in New York, Maye entered the game with 4:24 left and the Patriots down by 21 points, going 4-of-8 for 22 yards.
Entering the Week 3 game, it was reported that Maye was getting around 30% of the snaps during practice, something that doesn’t happen often. So, has the baton now been passed?
I have my doubts. It’s still extremely early in the season and the Patriots travel to San Francisco in Week 4. While the 49ers are only 25th in quarterback pressure rate so far, they are historically one of the better defenses in the league and are complemented by a prolific offense.
The next four games after that are at home, but against the Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets. The Jets and Texans are first and second in sack rate while the Dolphins and Jaguars are 17th and 19th.
The Patriots offensive line has been a sieve, allowing the second-highest pressure and sack rates.
While Maye showed some things during the preseason and has been getting some starter reps, he’s far from ready and it doesn’t make sense for the Patriots to throw Maye into the deep end at this time. More harm than good can come from it.
I don’t interpret Maye playing in garbage time on Thursday night as a passing of the torch. I view it as an opportunity for Maye to get some real game action but in a low-stress environment, and I think he will get spoon-fed those when they are presented for much of the season.
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