For most of the offseason, Drake Maye was the clear No. 2 quarterback on the New England Patriots’ roster.
With the Patriots still having one preseason game to play, coach Jerod Mayo has given him the opportunity to become the No. 1 pick before the regular season begins.
Jacoby Brissett did not play well on Thursday night. He threw an interception in the end zone and almost threw another under pressure. Maye, the No. 3 overall pick, made some good throws and led the team to the only touchdown of the game.
That was enough for Mayo to at least consider the idea of Maye being in the starting lineup for the season opener.
Mayo said Friday that “the competition for the QB1 spot is not over,” via Evan Lazar of Patriots.com. Brissett has been the starter in both preseason games and training camp, but Mayo said Maye could play on the first team this week.
“We’ll see,” Mayo said, via Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. “We’ll have a staff meeting later today and that decision will be made. I think he definitely made progress yesterday. We’ll see how it goes.”
Maybe it’s coach-speak to play up the possibility of competition. A move for Maye now would be abrupt after Brissett was the starter in the offseason. It seemed like the Patriots didn’t want to rush Maye, especially given a subpar cast around him, including an offensive line that ranks as one of the worst in the NFL.
But there will be pressure to get Maye in the lineup soon. Maye completed just 6 of 11 passes for 47 yards in two quarters Thursday night, but made some nice plays, including a pretty deep throw that the diving Javon Baker couldn’t catch. Maye also scored a rushing touchdown. While Brissett is a solid veteran, Maye’s talent is obvious. He is the Patriots’ quarterback of the future. The only question is whether he can also be the present.
Mayo said the Patriots’ starting offensive line will play in the final preseason game next week. That makes sense no matter who the starting quarterback is, because New England has struggled on offense.
It’s a little late to start a quarterback competition, but Mayo has opened up that opportunity.
“If he’s better than Jacoby, you know, he’ll play. He’ll be in the starting lineup,” Mayo said after Thursday’s game.
We’ll see if it turns into a real quarterback competition. If so, the Patriots’ season finale will be a lot more interesting.
