Report: Patriots Giving Drake Maye Starter Reps

The New England Patriots are reportedly ramping things up with quarterback Drake Maye.

Aug 25, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) stands on the sidelines during the first half against the Washington Commanders at Commanders Field. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots selected Drake Maye with the third overall pick of the NFL Draft back in April, but opted to roll with Jacoby Brissett as the starting quarterback.

However, that does not mean Maye will be riding the bench all season, or even much longer.

Evan Washburn of CBS Sports has reported that the Patriots have been giving 30 percent of the first-team reps to Maye in practice, indicating that they absolutely see a path to the University of North Carolina product making a start at some point in 2024.

“Jacoby’s the starter. He won the job in the offseason and in training camp,” Washburn said. “Drake Maye’s the No. 2, but during the week he gets 30 percent of the first-team reps. And for those that don’t know, a backup in a normal NFL situation they get five to 10 percent of the first-team reps.”

Additionally, Maye is not even getting a script before facing the defense as a scout-team passer, so even those stints are more competitive than usual for the rookie.

That being said, Brissett is still the No. 1 signal-caller until further notice.

“They’re doing their best to give Drake Maye an environment Wednesday through Friday, when they’re out on the practice field, that’s really going to improve him, while also acknowledging Jacoby’s the better guy right now to try to get them wins," added Washburn.

So, essentially, New England is gearing Maye up to take over the starting role down the line, whether that's in Week 4, Week 8 or Week 12.

The general consensus all along has been that Maye will certainly supplant Brissett under center at some point this year but that the Pats are working him along slowly.

Well, now, it appears that the Patriots are ramping things up for the 22-year-old.

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