Drake Maye, the rookie quarterback for the New England Patriots, may be itching to take the field, but Coach Jerod Mayo believes he is not quite ready to start just yet. Mayo explained, “a lot of factors led to this choice,” hinting at the team’s concerns about the state of their offensive line.
Reflecting on past experiences, Mayo may have been influenced by the cautionary tale of David Carr, the No. 1 pick in 2002, who was overwhelmed as a rookie and sacked a staggering 76 times. With this in mind, the Patriots have opted to have Maye learn from the sidelines, observing and absorbing knowledge from the current starter, Jacoby Brissett.
While Maye expressed his eagerness to play, he also displayed a mature understanding of the situation, acknowledging Brissett’s familiarity with the offense and the importance of experience. The young quarterback stated, “I want to play…At the same time, I understand the situation.”
Looking ahead, Mayo refused to speculate on how long Brissett would retain the starting position, leaving the door open for Maye to potentially step in at some point during the season. A recent scare with Brissett suffering a shoulder injury during a preseason game served as a reminder to Maye that he must stay prepared for any opportunity that may arise.
Despite not securing the starting role for now, Maye remains supportive of Brissett, emphasizing that he is “still rooting for him and cheering for him.” As other rookie quarterbacks like Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Bo Nix prepare to start for their respective teams, Maye bides his time, patiently waiting for his chance to shine in the spotlight.
