Drake Maye may have solidified his chances of being named the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots after his performance on Sunday night.
After Jacoby Brissett injured his shoulder on the game’s opening series, Maye came into the game and led the Patriots to a touchdown drive. The No. 3 pick showed off his playmaking skills when he ran for 17 yards on 3rd-and-14 for a first down. He completed five of six passes during the drive and capped it off with an 18-yard touchdown throw to Kevin Harris.
Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
Maye finished the game completing 13 of 20 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown. His best play came on a pass that didn’t count, completing a 48-yard touchdown throw across his body to KJ Osborn.
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On Monday, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said that Maye has played better than Jacoby Brissett at this point in the preseason, but that there are other factors that will determine which quarterback will start.
“It’s a real competition and I would say Drake has outperformed Jacoby at this point,” Mayo said Monday on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show.” “When we say that, we have to take into account all the work that goes back to the spring and the start of training camp. And we’ll see where we end up. But those are the conversations that will be had here over the next few days.”
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Brissett was expected to start for the Patriots in place of Maye before training camp, but Maye’s play has made this a real position battle. Brissett has started in every preseason game, but Mayo said they have not named a starter yet and will do so sometime this week.
Some very impressive plays from Drake Maye on this drive.
– 17-yard run on third and 14
– Cross-body completion to Polk for 29 yards
– 16-yard pass to Douglas on third and eight pic.twitter.com/UHSLSAZmvV— Zack Cox (@zm_cox) 26 August 2024
“It starts in practice and also in the game, where Drake has played better,” Mayo said, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “Still, everyone wants to know who’s going to be the starter. There are several factors that go into that decision. One of them is the overall body of work, whether we’re talking about the spring or the entire training camp. And I would also say that we often forget the overall experience that a guy like Jacoby has, which is also taken into account in the decision.”
Mayo added: “I’m happy with the way these guys are fighting. Hopefully we can name a starter in the next few days and get the season rolling.”
If Maye can secure a starting spot right away, he would be the fourth rookie quarterback in this year’s draft to make the starting lineup. Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears, Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders and Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos have all already earned a starting spot for their team.
The Patriots open their season on September 8th at the Cincinnati Bengals.
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