Patriots HC Jerod Mayo Describes Drake Maye's Camp as 'Steady'

The New England Patriots rookie QB is building a foundation.

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. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Patriots have been busy getting the feet wet of their rookie QB Drake Maye in the early motions of their preseason, as well as through their training camp practices to start the year. While his preseason consisted of a notably limited one-rep performance in the entire game, the first-year signal-caller has still shown some valuable improvements during his initial time in the league.

Maye was a prospect entering this year's draft dubbed as one that would need some fine-tuning before he fully got the keys to an NFL offense. It's a slow grind, but he's already beginning to catch the attention of some notable faces in the building.

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo has been one to take notice of the rookie QB's development, and how he's progressed since coming to town in April.

When asked about how Drake Maye's training camp and preseason has been up to this point, Mayo expressed some positive feelings about his rookie quarterback, describing his performance as "steady," along with a strong work ethic:

"He's been steady. I think if I were to say one word, it's steady. He's always in the building, always studying. He's out here trying to get better each and every day. He'll get more reps this week if that's the underlying question. He'll get more reps this week-- believe me."

- Jerod Mayo on Drake Maye

The word steady should signal a great sign to Patriots fans, as Maye continues to showcase that consistent and diligent growth during his early time in the league. A wide expectation for young quarterbacks is for ups and downs to come along with it, and while they do, it seems New England's top three pick is navigating the storm well.

Another great sign for fans in New England should be that Coach Mayo seems to indicate a bigger workload for his rookie quarterback as the Patriots take on their second week of preseason vs. the Philadelphia Eagles. Bailey Zappe and Joe Milton should be expected to secure their fair share of snaps (and potentially Jacoby Brissett for one to two drives), but it's hard to see the third-overall pick on the field for just six in his next time taking the field.

A joint practice with Philadelphia on Tuesday should be an ideal way for Maye to get familiar with what to expect against this top-tier defense in a likely tougher exhibition bout than their previous vs. the Carolina Panthers.

The Patriots will take the field once again on Thursday for their matchup against the Eagles, with kickoff set to take place at 7:00 PM ET.

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