Patriots HC Gives Honest Answer About Drake Maye’s Starter Reps

New England Patriots head coach has revealed some key details on Drake Maye's first-team reps in practice.

Aug 15, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) looks to throw against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

It was recently reported that the New England Patriots are giving Drake Maye significant first-team reps in practice, which has many believing that the rookie quarterback will be starting sooner rather than later.

Well, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo provided an update on the strategy with Maye this week, saying that it's par for the course.

"That's definitely accurate. It's not a secret," Mayo said of Maye getting a lot of practice reps, via Nick Goss of NBC Sports Boston. "We have a quarterback in the wings that needs to continue to develop."

Mayo went on to add that typically, the starting quarterback gets 95 percent of the first-team reps in practice, but the situation between Jacoby Brissett and Maye is obviously unique.

"With this, it's a little bit different," Mayo said. "We had a conversation, how do we – I guess the struggle is, how do you get your starting quarterback prepared for the game and also continue to develop the guy in the background, which is Drake."

New England may have won its season opener over the Cincinnati Bengals, but Brissett did not exactly turn heads in the victory, going 15-for-24 with 121 yards.

Given that Brissett has mostly been a career backup and the Pats selected Maye with the third overall pick in the NFL Draft, it would only make sense to assume that Maye will get some playing time at some point this season.

That being said, the Patriots could also be protecting Maye, as they do not have a great offensive line, and their weapons are very limited.

We'll see how New England decides to proceed with its first-year quarterback as the year progresses.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

• Analyst Makes Wild Suggestion For Patriots
• Insider Names Patriots' Biggest Trade Need
• Patriots Captain Gets Honest About Jacoby Brissett
• Patriots Legend Predicts Massive AFC Surprise
• Patriots Lead In NFL In Very Unique Category