Patriots Country

Patriots Could Make Surprising Week 18 QB Decision

The New England Patriots could make a surprising decision at quarterback for the season finale.

Evan Massey

Dec 28, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) looks to pass the ball against the Los Angeles Chargers in the second half at Gillette Stadium.
Dec 28, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) looks to pass the ball against the Los Angeles Chargers in the second half at Gillette Stadium. / David Butler II-Imagn Images
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The New England Patriots are 3-13 entering their Week 18 season finale against the Buffalo Bills. They currently hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and would lock that up with a loss.

Obviously, the fan base is hoping that the Patriots don't win a meaningless game and rob themselves of a No. 1 pick. However, Jerod Mayo has been very clear that he is coaching to beat the Bills.

With that being said, New England seems to be considering a surprising quarterback move for the upcoming matchup.

As shared by Mike Kadlick of Sports Illustrated, the Patriots are considering the idea of sitting rookie quarterback Drake Maye out against Buffalo. Mayo briefly admitted that the idea is under consideration.

"Right now everything is in consideration. We'll see how the week goes," Mayo said.

To be perfectly honest, New England should not try to win this game. Having the No. 1 overall pick would give the Patriots a lot of options.

They could either take a player like Travis Hunter and guarantee themselves a top-tier weapon for Maye for years to come or they could trade down and bring in a massive haul of assets. Either way, New England would be greatly improving their future outlook.

During the 2024 NFL season thus far, Maye has played in 12 games. He has completed 66.8 percent of his pass attempts for 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Maye has also picked up 421 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Sitting him out would not be a bad idea. He has already proven that he's the new franchise quarterback.

At this point in time, the Bills are expected to sit out most of their key players. Buffalo has already locked up the No. 2 seed in the AFC and has nothing else left to play for in the regular season. The Patriots should also consider sitting out key players.

All of that being said, it will be interesting to see what ends up happening in Week 18. New England would make a massive mistake by winning, but sitting Maye would be a sign that they're not going all-out to get the win.

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Evan Massey
EVAN MASSEY

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