Drafted third overall in the 2024 NFL Draft by New England, rookie signal-caller Drake Maye recently received some advice from former Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe. In an interview with ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Bledsoe stated of Maye, “He’s going to have to have thick skin and be patient.” It’s not going to occur right now. If they even start him straight away, he will need to be quite resilient both mentally and emotionally to get through some of the difficult moments.”
It’s unclear if September’s first-year head coach Jerod Mayo will start Maye from the beginning. Last summer, Maye got to know veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who was signed by New England in March. Maye “has a lot to work on” before he’s prepared to play in important games against real defenses, according to Mayo. Brissett is expected to start training camp as the team’s starting quarterback. “You have Jacoby there; they’re not in a situation where they have to throw him on the field right away,” Bledsoe went on. “So I’ll be curious to see what they do.”
It is unknown if Jerod Mayo, the first-year head coach, would start Maye from the beginning in September. Maye got to know veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett last summer; in March, New England signed Brissett. Mayo stated that Maye “has a lot to work on” before he’s ready to play in significant games against genuine defenses. Brissett is anticipated to be the team’s starting quarterback when training camp begins. “You have Jacoby there; they’re not in a situation where they have to throw him on the field right away,” Bledsoe continued. “So I’ll be curious to see what they do.”
“It’s different in that the Patriots never really had a ton of success [when I got there],” Bledsoe said. “Aside from that one Super Bowl [in 1985], they had not regularly been significant. Even though they were in charge of the entire world not too long ago, there is still some residual anticipation due to their immense accomplishment. That section differs somewhat. But really, they had every right to choose where they wanted to go; there wasn’t much to look at last year.”
One reason some observers believe Maye should rest and grow as a backup for at least some of this autumn is because of his alleged lack of offensive potential. The Patriots’ projected over/under win total for the 2017 season was just 4.5 as of Monday, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. That same source pegged Maye to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award as a +2200 betting underdog.
