It comes off as a bit of a surprise that the New England Patriots moved on from veteran Jacoby Brissett as the starting quarterback as early as they have, as all signs pointed to the team wanting rookie quarterback Drake Maye to sit behind and develop while the team improves. With Maye announced as the starter heading into week 6 he faces as tough situation with a team lacking in a supporting cast around him.
It’s more evident than ever that the NFL is a “win now” league, and these rookie quarterbacks need to show something early on to make it in the league, as well as coaches having a much shorter leash if the losses start to pile up. With Brissett’s game not up to the level needed to shoulder the load of a subpar supporting cast, the Patriots have to hope that the quarterback they drafted third overall can light a fuse around the team and show flashes early on.
While Maye won’t be asked to come out and throw it 30 times a game, given the run-first nature of the team, it will be laid upon him to create the explosive plays that have been seriously lacking in a borderline inept offense. The defense and running game are enough for the team to win games with solid quarterback play, but asking Maye to be anything more than that, given the weapons surrounding him, feels like a fool’s errand.
Maye has all the talent in the world to eventually help carry a team on his back, but the Patriots need to ensure he can develop to that point and not spoil his development early on in his career.
