Patriots Reveal Plan for Drake Maye Ahead of Preseason Week 2

As the Patriots' highest draft pick in over three decades, Drake Maye's preseason debut on Thursday was highly anticipated among the fanbase. Unfortunately, the third overall pick's debut left New England fans wanting more, as the rookie signal caller only played one series against the Carolina Panthers.

Speaking on Sunday, head coach Jerod Mayo provided a welcomed update for Patriots fans, revealing that Maye will play "a lot more" in New England's preseason matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Mayo stated that in addition to Maye, all of the Patriots starters should see increased playing time against the Eagles. This week's game should provide a much more representative picture of New England's Week 1 roster than we saw against Carolina.

Maye completed two of his three pass attempts for 19 yards against Carolina on Thursday in his lone series. Third-year QB Bailey Zappe received the bulk of reps under center, while rookie Joe Milton provided some highlights in his first professional appearance.

Projected starter, veteran Jacoby Brissett, also played one series. In his postgame comments, Mayo admitted that New England's coaching staff was apprehensive about playing Maye behind the second-string offensive line and that Maye and Brissett playing only one series was part of the plan going into the game.

Even though his first in-game experience was limited, Maye spoke on his excitement around taking the field at Gillette Stadium:

"I think it was awesome, first of all, to get out there in the stadium. It was my first time since I think the day after I got drafted being in the stadium, other than the walkthrough yesterday. So, being there with fans was a different feeling. I got some little chills in my body, but it was just awesome to compete against somebody else."

- Drake Maye on his preseason debut

New England and Philadelphia will participate in a joint practice on Tuesday. Coaching staffs tend to put a significant amount of stock into joint practices, so it will be interesting to see how Maye performs against the Eagles in that setting.

After a disappointing abbreviated debut, Patriots fans should tune in on Thursday to see a much larger sample size from their third overall pick. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.

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