Former North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye played limited games in the first two preseason games of his NFL rookie season and has every chance of being selected as the third overall pick.
Maye played only one series against his hometown Carolina Panthers on Thursday, August 8, but completed two of his three passes for 19 yards.
In the New England Patriots’ second preseason game a week later, Maye outdid himself, breaking a 3-3 tie late in the second quarter by scoring his first NFL touchdown – on a 4-yard read option.
Although Maye has looked better than likely starter Jacoby Brissett in two preseason games, New England’s offensive linemen are struggling. If you’re a football fan like me, that can spell doom for a quarterback, especially a rookie still in his early stages.
Brissett was brought in to give New England a proven, experienced starter with a track record (stats-wise), and to give Maye a chance to learn from Brissett and not be pushed too much into the starting lineup.
Jerod Mayo says the OL situation wouldn’t stop the team from bringing in Drake Maye if he beats Jacoby Brissett in the battle for the QB1 job
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) 16 August 2024
How bad was the Patriots’ offensive line in their 14-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday? Read what Boston Herald reporter Andrew Callahan said.
#Patriots Quarterbacks were sacked on 10 of 48 dropbacks in today’s team periods against the Eagles.
Uncool 20.8% of the time.
– Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) 13 August 2024
Dealing with pressure is nothing new for Maye, who was named ACC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in 2022. We learned about Maye’s impressive running ability during his 2022 season, where he led UNC with 698 rushing yards.
New England has one more preseason game: Sunday, August 25, 8 p.m. ET at the Washington Commanders. When will Mayes head coach Jerod Mayo make a decision on who will be the Patriots’ starting quarterback?
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