The Patriots’ quarterback situation will be one to keep an eye on throughout the season.
Jacoby Brissett, whom New England signed at the start of NFL free agency in March, will open the season as the team’s starter, but the future of the franchise revolves around Drake Maye, a very talented rookie who impressed his coaches over the summer.
The move from Brissett to Maye is only a matter of time, but the timeline for a signal-caller change is pretty unclear. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport tried to shed some clarity on the matter Sunday morning.
“As far as Maye’s playing time, they want to put him in a position where he can be successful,” Rapoport said on NFL Network. “They’re also not going to put him on the field unless he’s the guy that gives the team the best chance to win. From what I understand, that means they’re going to make sure the offensive line is good enough to put him on the field, the qualified position group – everything is in place for Maye to come in right away and be successful. That’s probably going to take at least several weeks.”
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New England’s improvement of the supporting cast could take longer than Maye’s development. The Patriots missed out on several top talents before the season began, and it will be difficult to make Foxboro, Massachusetts, an attractive destination again. Jerod Mayo and Co. will have to do a great job with their homegrown players and hope to be successful in the draft.
Still, you can’t wrap Maye in bubble wrap forever. At some point you have to see what you have in the highly drafted QB.
