Why isn’t Rookie QB Drake Maye starting for the Patriots?

Earlier this week, New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said that he’s giving a lot of practice reps to Drake Maye, the rookie No. 3 overall pick in the draft, even though he’s not yet their starter. That title currently belongs to Jacoby Brissett, who’s started in both games so far. Still, rather than getting around 95% of the practice reps, Brissett is getting just 70%, while Maye is getting 30% as the Pats look to eventually incorporate him into the starting lineup.

Brissett in, Maye out for Pats vs Jets Week 3 TNF

Despite the extra practice, and despite being drafted so high, Maye will remain the QB2 for the Patriots’ Week 3 Thursday Night Football game against the New York Jets.

A high pick in the draft does not automatically make a player ready to start in the NFL. We’ve seen it happen with success, of course. Look at 2023′s No. 2 overall pick, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. And then, more often than not, we’ve seen it flop. Take Bryce Young, for example. The Carolina Panthers quarterback and No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft was not given just a whole lot to work with when he arrived on the scene. This year, the Panthers are 0-2 and Young has thrown zero touchdowns and three interceptions. That’s not looking like an improvement from his rookie season last year, when he completed just 59.8% of his passes for 2,877 yards and threw 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Heading into Week 3, Young has already been benched by the head coach, general manager, and vice president.

The Patriots do not want to see that happen to their rookie quarterback. They’ve been in a similar position before when they had Mac Jones at quarterback, who was playing behind a terrible offensive line and a mediocre group of receivers, and whose potential was never realized because of it.

Now, New England is taking their time to develop Drake Maye. They’re waiting until the offense is ready rather than setting him up for failure behind one that isn’t. Maye put up a convincing argument to be the starter during the preseason, but the Pats are staying the course. Still, the advanced practice reps indicate they could start him over Brissett at some point this season. And yet, it’s not likely to be anytime soon, as the o-line still needs a lot of work too.

The Pats have the third-worst pressure rate, are tied for the ninth-most pressures allowed, and have the fourth-worst pass-block win rate over the first two weeks of the season. Their receivers have combined for just 11 catches for 85 yards and one touchdown. Despite all that, Brissett, who’s been in the league since 2016, was able to manage the games well, beating the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 and just narrowly losing in overtime to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2. It’s highly unlikely that Maye would have been able to do the same...yet. Maye’s time will come and likely in the near future, but for now, the Pats are behind Brissett all the way as they wait for that moment to come.

The Patriots take on the Jets tonight at 8:15 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. You can follow along with the action with live text commentary brought to you by our very own Dane Arlauckas right here on AS USA.