The New England Patriots are hopeful that Drake Maye will eventually become their franchise cornerstone, and they are willing to sacrifice some of their starting quarterback’s preparation in an attempt to get to that point sooner.
CBS sideline reporter Evan Washburn made the surprising revelation on Monday that the Patriots are giving Maye 30 percent of the first-team reps in practice during the week. Starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett takes the other roughly 70 percent. As Washburn noted, that is an extremely unusual arrangement, as the starter typically gets most — if not all — of the first-team reps in the week leading up to a game.
Jerod Mayo was asked on Friday about Washburn’s report, and the Patriots head coach confirmed that it is true.
“That’s definitely accurate. It’s not a secret. We have a quarterback in the wings that needs to continue to develop,” Mayo said. “Normally, I would say, the starter gets 95 percent of the reps and the backup doesn’t. … I guess the struggle is how do you get your starting quarterback ready for the game and also continue to develop the guy in the background, which is Drake.”
.@MikeReiss asks Jerod Mayo about @EvanWashburn’s report of Drake Maye getting 30% of snaps at practices – an abnormally large number for a back-up QB
“That’s definitely accurate. It’s not a secret. We have a quarterback in the wings that needs to continue to develop…” @WEEI pic.twitter.com/BTcT80daVF
— Tom Carroll (@yaboiTCfresh) September 13, 2024
It is hardly a secret that the Patriots view Brissett as a bridge quarterback, but the way they are dividing practice reps might be unprecedented. They are essentially sacrificing potential success in the short term to prepare Maye for success down the road. Of course, Mayo probably has an easier time admitting it after his team’s surprising upset win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1.
Mayo has said Brissett won the starting job because the veteran gives the Patriots the best chance to win. Brissett would probably be more prepared to compete if he got all of the first-team reps in practice, but the Patriots feel the way they are doing things will be better for the franchise. Time will tell if it pays off.
