New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo didn’t shy away from a recent report that rookie quarterback Drake Maye was taking 30 percent of the first-team reps in practice.
It’s an unusual setup considering Jacoby Brissett is the active starter for the team. That means Maye is dipping into valuable reps for Brissett, who is actually on the field leading the team in games.
Maye is obviously going to start at some point, but the Patriots’ approach in practice makes it seem like that time is coming sooner rather than later. If Maye is truly the backup, he would be getting significantly fewer first-team reps, if any, during the regular season.
#Patriots HC Jerod Mayo confirms that Drake Maye is getting about 30% of the first-team reps in practice. Mayo said that’s higher than usual for the backup QB.
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) September 13, 2024
The Patriots pulled off a major upset win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 with Brissett under center. They are unlikely to rock the boat if the offense continues to work efficiently as currently constructed.
However, a few losses could lead to significant pressure being put on the team to start Maye. As the team learned in the Mac Jones disaster, there’s no positive exit path for that kind of decision.
