Welcome to the NFL, Drake Maye. The newcomer got his first taste of regular-season action in dramatic fashion, as head coach Jerod Mayo made the bold decision to bench veteran Jacoby Brissett and thrust the first-round rookie quarterback into the game with less than five minutes remaining and the New England Patriots trailing 24-3 against the New York Jets.
Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of UNC, had been competing with Brissett for the starting job throughout the summer. Despite a late surge in the preseason, the veteran ultimately got the nod to start the season. But with the Patriots struggling against the Jets, Mayo took a chance on the rookie.
Maye’s first pass attempt was incomplete as he targeted tight end Austin Hooper and narrowly avoided an interception. His second pass was a short completion to Kayshon Boutte. By the end of the game, Maye had completed four of his eight passes for 22 yards and had been sacked twice.
It remains to be seen whether Mayo’s decision to insert Maye into the game was a permanent change at quarterback or simply a move to protect Brissett, who had been sacked five times and completed just 12 of 18 passes for 98 yards on the night. The Patriots offense struggled to find its rhythm, totaling a mere 139 yards of offense compared to the Jets’ 400 yards.
The 24-3 defeat was a tough pill to swallow for New England, but for the rookie Maye, it was a valuable learning experience in the harsh realities of the NFL. Only time will tell if this game was a turning point in the Patriots’ quarterback situation or simply a blip on the radar of a long season ahead.