The New England Patriots are giving Drake Maye a chance to start this week against the Houston Texans, and it sounds like the rookie has done a good job of navigating an awkward situation.
Maye has been named the starter in New England sooner than the team would have liked. That is because Jacoby Brissett and the Patriots’ offense have struggled through five games. Brissett spoke with the media on Thursday about how difficult it is to lose his starting job, and he shared a great exchange he had with Maye after head coach Jerod Mayo made the switch.
Brissett said Maye checked in on the veteran to see how Brissett was doing after being benched. Brissett told Maye, “Man, if you’re worried about me, you’re worried about the wrong thing.”
Jacoby Brissett passes along that Drake Maye asked him how he's doing. Brissett said, "Man, if you're worries about me, you're worrying about the wrong thing."
What's it say about him? "Great kid. Great kid. It's no malice in my heart towards him."
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) October 10, 2024
Both the question and the response show that there is a level of mutual respect between Brissett and Maye. The No. 3 overall pick is obviously excited that he is getting a chance to show he can play at the NFL level, but that comes at the expense of a veteran teammate being demoted.
Maye also said on Wednesday that Brissett “battled his butt off.”
Drake Maye on replacing Jacoby Brissett: "I think he did all he could. I think he battled his butt off. … It's a winning league and we're sitting here at 1-4. And I think these guys around here want to win." #Patriots pic.twitter.com/GExNHJwVLX
— Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) October 9, 2024
The supposed plan for the Patriots all along was to start Maye at some point this season. With Brissett having just 696 passing yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception through five games, Mayo felt like now was the time to make the switch.
The big question is whether New England will look better with Maye than they did with Brissett. Their offensive line is still suspect, and they have one of the worst collection of skill players in the NFL. The former North Carolina star could experience some serious growing pains.
