Once Drake Maye walked across the stage on April 25 as the third overall pick, New England Patriots fans have been anxiously awaiting for when they will see their new franchise quarterback in action. Given the undesirable quarterback play of the last few seasons from New England's signal callers, Maye's starting role probably can't come soon enough for Patriots nation.
Maye, New England's highest draft pick since 1993, will be at the center of the Patriots' ability to flip the script and return to perennial playoff appearances. No pressure, kid.
Much of the intel emerging from Foxborough has peddled the idea of a "competition" amongst the Patriots quarterback room for the Week 1 starting role, but make no mistake, Maye will likely have to blow away the coaching staff to earn that honor.
The North Carolina product has been labeled as a "project" and a "raw" prospect, which aren't characteristics of a Week 1-starting QB. This isn't a knock on Maye, but rather a reality check for Patriots fans.
The Patriots tipped their hand when they inked veteran QB Jacoby Brissett, a former New England draft pick, to a one-year deal back in March. Bailey Zappe, the incumbent starter, has appeared in 14 games for the Patriots in two seasons and remains on the roster. New England also selected another QB in the draft, taking Joe Milton in the sixth round.
Patriots fans will be eager to see Maye on the field as their quarterback. Here are the three most likely timeframes that could happen, from least likely to most likely.
Least Likely: Week 1
A lot could change in the next four months or so before the NFL season kicks off, but rushing Maye would undoubtedly do far more bad than good.
Chase Daniel, who spent 14 seasons as an NFL quarterback, labeled Maye as a "very raw" prospect and declared that he isn't ready yet to start in the league, and an NFC scout told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network that "Drake's going to a be a big project because he's just not naturally accurate".
Appearing on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show" on April 29, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo was asked how ready Maye might be to make the transition to pro ball. Mayo's line that "none of these quarterbacks are coming in here ready to play" the most damning line of the quote:
"None of these quarterbacks are coming in here ready to play...It’s very hard to sit here and say this guy is going to play. But what I will say is he’s going to compete. We have a solid quarterback room, in our opinion, and they’re going to compete, and the best player to going to play."Patriots HC Jerod Mayo
Now, there is plenty of time for Maye to improve, and perhaps his development accelerates far quicker than the franchise is anticipating. In 2021, another first-round New England QB, Mac Jones, earned the starting role over Cam Newton after a strong camp and a particularly impressive performance against the New York Giants in joint practices.
At the end of the day, the quarterback competition will be framed as Brissett vs. Maye, but if Maye does enough to clean up some of the concerns that have led to him garnering the project label (predominantly, his footwork), it really could just be Drake Maye vs. Drake Maye.
Based on external evaluations of Maye and Mayo's comments, this is undeniably the long-shot of the three options.
Possibility: Following the Bye Week
A good target, once the NFL schedule is released, could be following New England's bye week. A bye week would allow Maye and the coaching staff an additional week to ramp up their rookie quarterback and introduce him into the fold.
They can use the extra week to install a game plan for the specific opponent and make the necessary adjustments to transition from Brissett to Maye under center. This should take a little bit of weight off of the first-rounder as he prepares for his first NFL start.
The only problem with this plan (at this point in time)? The schedule hasn't been released yet. In the long run, this should make little difference, but for the time being, it is impossible to make a concrete prediction. The later in the season that the Patriots bye week falls, the more likelier this scenario plays out.
NFL teams were informed today that the regular-season schedule is expected to be released next Wednesday, May 15th, as @BenFischerSBJ reported. pic.twitter.com/sDON7FFsoL
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 7, 2024
We'll soon know when New England's off week is when the schedule comes out on May 15, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Most Likely: 2025
After veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett was signed to a one-year deal in March, it seemed like a pretty strong possibility that they planned to use Brissett as a bridge quarterback while their rookie QB sat for a season. Once the Patriots selected Maye, who is regarded as more of a project, this scenario is the runaway favorite.
Quarterbacks who have sat for at least a season since 2000 include: Patrick Mahomes, Carson Palmer, Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers, Tony Romo, Kirk Cousins, Drew Brees, and of course, Tom Brady.
Yes, they are some great QBs that have started year 1, but they are also some high-drafted signal callers that unequivocally had their development stunted by being handed the reigns too early.
We have also heard (almost ad nauseam) about the "Packer Way" that Eliot Wolf has brought to Foxborough. Green Bay employed the approach of sitting their first-round QB picks to develop behind the scenes when moving on from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers, and Rodgers to Jordan Love. Rodgers sat for three seasons, while Love sat for two.
Ideally, Patriots fans don’t have to wait to see Maye for more than a season, but patience is a better alternative than risking the future of the franchise by rushing his development.
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