August 8, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) under center during the first half against the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium. Photo credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Drake Maye continues to look good in the New England Patriots’ recent training sessions, but there is still one thing that is keeping him from making the starting lineup.
FOXBORO – Drake Maye had another good day at New England Patriots training camp on Monday, but he’s still missing one important thing that appears to be keeping him from being considered for the starting lineup.
Maye has yet to field the entire starting offense, across the board. Offensive line, receivers, everyone. That hasn’t happened once.
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo acknowledged before Monday’s practice that Maye needs to work out with all of his starters before deciding if he’s ready to step in as the No. 1 quarterback. Jacoby Brissett continues to do those workouts exclusively with the entire starting offensive line and a full complement of starting weapons.
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“It’s very important for (Maye) to continue to build confidence in this group, not only on the offensive line but also at receiver,” Mayo said.
Maye continued to take snaps from backup center Liam Fornadel as the Patriots tried more varied combinations along the offensive line. But Maye is working primarily with the backups in front of him. He’s starting to work more with projected starting pass catchers like KJ Osborn and Tyquan Thornton, but is still primarily targeting backup pass catchers and handing the ball off to backup running backs.
Both quarterbacks put in solid practices on Monday. Brissett completed 5 of 8 passes, with two of those snaps containing pressure situations that could be described as “sacks.” Maye completed 8 of 12, with one pressure. Maye’s best pass was an effortlessly placed deep ball to a completely free Osborn after the rookie recognized a broken coverage in 7-on-7.
Maye’s composure in the pocket and his decisive passes have stood out in recent practices after he looked confident and produced good results in his final practice of the season last Thursday night against the Philadelphia Eagles. Brissett, on the other hand, rebounded on Monday after regressing in recent practices as Maye regained momentum.
“I still treat myself like I’m the starter,” Brissett said Monday after practice.
Brissett was asked about this in the first place because his head coach is sending a somewhat contradictory message. Based on Mayo’s own words, there is some confusion about the Patriots’ quarterback competition and Maye’s chances of starting in Week 1. After declaring that Brissett would enter training camp as the Patriots’ starting QB, Mayo is leaving the door ajar for a change.
“We don’t know (the starting quarterback) right now,” Mayo said Monday. “We have one more preseason game and then a week after that. When I know, I’ll let you know.”
The Patriots have three more practices to go before Sunday’s final game of the season on the road against the Washington Commanders. Mayo also said that anyone on the Patriots’ roster who is healthy will play in the game. It depends on who is playing with whom.
Despite Maye’s recent rise, the rookie has not yet managed to bring the quarterback competition to a level that allows for a direct comparison with Brissett. Not only has Maye not worked with the full projected starting offense, but he has not yet faced the Patriots’ full starting defense in practice.
So while Maye has real physical talent and has made great strides in his decision-making and operational work in his first summer running an NFL offense, Mayo hasn’t seen enough of him in the preseason to heat up the competition.
Until Maye puts in the much-needed work with all of the core players, it’s hard to believe the competition is on his side.
Matt, a native of North Andover, Massachusetts, has been with The Sports Hub since 2010. The son of Boston University All-American hockey player Steve Dolloff and Melrose High School Hall of Famer, sports have always been a part of his life. After attending Northeastern University, Matt focused his love of sports on writing, writing extensively about all four major Boston teams. He is also the co-host of the Sports Hub Underground podcast and a regular on-air contributor to the Sports Hub. Matt writes about all New England sports, from Patriots football to the Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins.
