The New England Patriots selected quarterback Drake Maye with the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Patriots expected Maye to be the quarterback of the future in New England, but it appears the future could start as soon as Week 1 of the 2024 regular season.
On Friday, following the Patriots’ second preseason game in which Maye shined, head coach Jerod Mayo was asked if Maye could be the starter come Week 1 of the regular season against the Cincinnati Bengals.
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“Do you see this as being a competition between (Maye and Jacoby Brissett) right now as to who is going to be the starting quarterback against Cincinnati?” Mayo was asked.
“I do,” Mayo said. “We have three more days of training camp practices, and it’s our job as coaches to evaluate, and the competition isn’t over. They’re still gonna go out there, and they have to show not only themselves and their coaches, but also their teammates. So it’s definitely still a competition.”
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Maye has looked sharp through two preseason games for the Patriots. In Week 1, he went 2-for-3 for 17 yards. In the Week 2 matchup on Friday, Maye played two quarters and went 6-for-11 for 47 yards with four rushes for 15 yards and his first career NFL touchdown, a four-yard rush. Maye led the Patriots on back-to-back scoring drives in the second quarter.
Maye’s play has made the Patriots’ quarterback competition significantly more interesting. Heading into the year, it was expected that veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who signed with the Patriots on a one-year, $8 million deal this offseason, would open the season as the starter. Brissett was initially drafted by the Patriots in 2016 and spent one season there backing up Tom Brady before spending the next seven seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, and Washington Commanders.
Brissett has appeared in 79 games across his eight-year career, starting 48 of them. His record as a starter is 18-30, but he has an impressive 51 passing touchdowns to just 23 interceptions, with another 15 rushing touchdowns.
Brissett struggled in Friday’s preseason game, going 3-for-7 for 17 yards with an interception. If he struggles again in New England’s final preseason game next Sunday — or if Maye shines yet again — the Patriots could elect to get their future started early with Maye under center in Week 1 against the Bengals.
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