As the New England Patriots began their first preseason game of the year on Thursday, head coach Jerod Mayo took an unconventional approach to allocating the playing time of his four quarterbacks on the roster.
All eyes were on the debut of third-overall pick Drake Maye in his first NFL game against the Carolina Panthers, but Mayo dampened the enthusiasm for his rookie QB. The UNC product was in action for one drive before being quickly subbed out for Bailey Zappe in the first quarter. Many expected Maye to get the lion’s share of playing time in his debut, but that didn’t turn out to be the case.
Mayo later described in his postgame press conference that it was “always the plan” to let Maye and veteran Jacoby Brissett get some experience for one drive before taking them out of the game, even if that may not have been the most popular decision in the eyes of fans.
However, the Patriots head coach has now shared some positive news about what to expect from his first-round pick in the future, mentioning that Maye will play a bigger role in the lead-up to the next preseason game.
Speaking to the media on Friday after the Patriots’ preseason win, coach Mayo explained that Maye will likely get more playing time in New England’s game next Thursday against the Philadelphia Eagles than he did in his first opportunity against the Panthers:
“Yeah, I mean, those things are always taken into consideration. I would also say he’s getting a lot of reps during practice. Then going into Eagles week, which is honestly a big week for everybody to practice against the Eagles, and then we’ll really see how the reps break down in the game. But I expect Drake (Maye) to get more reps than he did in the first game against the Eagles.”
– Jerod Mayo on Drake Maye
Maye entered the game against the Panthers after Brissett’s first drive, completing two of his three passes for 19 yards — although those gains came off screen passes. With a better chance of getting on the field next week, we can expect to see a much better skill set from the third pick.
.@DrakeMaye2 to Gibson to move the chains ⛓️
📺: @wbzsports pic.twitter.com/FvfkqDAJNi
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) 8 August 2024
Whether Mayes’ snaps increase from one drive to two or his time at quarterback extends beyond one quarter remains to be seen, but Mayo’s willingness to give his rookie quarterback more chances is a positive sign that there’s a lot more to come compared to what happened Thursday night.
With the Patriots beginning training camp next week, a joint practice with Philadelphia is also scheduled for August 16, which could prepare Maye a little better for what to expect in the actual game.
The Eagles will come to town to face New England on Thursday, August 15th, and fans can look forward to seeing a lot more of the Patriots’ prized rookie.
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