Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Drake Maye is likely to see more time on the field in his second preseason appearance for the New England Patriots.
According to Albert Breer of The MMQB, Maye will play the entire second quarter and “into the third” of New England’s clash with the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night. Veteran Jacoby Brissett will play quarterback in the first quarter, fellow rookie Joe Milton will replace Maye, and Bailey Zappe will close out the fourth quarter.
The player selected as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft was only on the field for one drive in his preseason debut against the Carolina Panthers.
Maye completed two of his three pass attempts for 19 yards as New England ultimately emerged with a 17-3 victory.
The former North Carolina standout was not taken out of the game for performance-related reasons, as Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo confirmed that it was “always” part of the plan for Maye to run a drive (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
Mayo was also impressed with how the 21-year-old remained involved in the rest of the team’s offense even when he was off the field.
“I would also say when he wasn’t in the game, he was still listening and mentally educating himself, which is very important,” Mayo told reporters on the team’s official website on Tuesday. “I always talk to all the players: When they’re not in the game, they should be mentally educating themselves and going over the tests in their head. He definitely did that.”
While Brissett will continue to be a starter, Maye should get a greater opportunity to showcase his abilities in leading the team’s offense and potentially compete for the top spot on New England’s roster.
When Maye takes the field, the Eagles will likely be without their best defense, although they still have one of the strongest defenses in the league and could pose a challenge for the rookie playmaker.
Kickoff is on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. ET.
