Drake Maye is undoubtedly the presumed quarterback of the future in New England, but he’s not the Patriots’ starter right now.
That job continues to belong to Jacoby Brissett, who remained the No. 1 quarterback during drills at Patriots OTAs on Tuesday.
After drills on Tuesday, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt was asked about New England’s quarterback room. He made it clear that Brissett remains at the top of the depth chart.
Drake Maye was the second QB up today, which was a change from previous practices open to reporters.
But it’s clear who’s is No. 1 right now.
Alex Van Pelt: “Jacoby, again, is our starter. He’s playing excellent football for us in the spring.” pic.twitter.com/VG4EMcu4EB
— Phil Perry (@PhilAPerry) June 4, 2024
“Jacoby, again, is our starter,” Van Pelt told reporters. “He’s playing excellent football for us in the spring. And Drake is coming on. Until that changes, we’re gonna stick with what we’ve got.”
Van Pelt noted that there’s “no timetable” for the team to switch to Maye, whom it selected with the No. 3 pick in April’s NFL Draft. Van Pelt’s comments echoed those of executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf, who said on May 28 that Brissett was No. 1 on the depth chart.
“He’s taking the first reps, and we’re excited about what he’s shown, not only off the field but also on the field with his throwing ability.
“Drake Maye, let’s be honest, we’ve had him for three weeks now. There’s a long way to go to for all of our rookies and all of our players as we adapt to this new scheme that coach Van Pelt is implementing offensively.”
Van Pelt: Maye’s progress is ‘impressive’
Van Pelt offered praise for Maye on Tuesday, calling his progress “impressive.”
“He’s come out, taken everything from the classroom, everything from our individual periods and applied them to the team drills,” Van Pelt said. “He’s been impressive so far. The biggest things we’re working on with him right now, obviously calling plays from the huddle, which is new to a lot of these college guys. And then just playing in rhythm and in time with your feet.”
Maye echoed Van Pelt’s coaching while speaking with reporters.
“It’s easy getting them and knowing what I’m going to do,” Maye said Tuesday of implementing calls, per Boston.com. “But telling those guys and being in the huddle and motioning different guys, using my cadence. Just playing quarterback, playing the position.
“Not as much making throws and stuff. Also, I think footwork is a big thing. We’ve hashed on that. I think it’s a work in progress, and I feel pretty good about it.”
When will Maye start?
Maye joins the Patriots after a standout two-season stint as the starter for North Carolina. A 6-foot-5, 220-pound athlete with a big arm and a penchant for making plays, he has all the tools of a prototypical NFL quarterback. Everything coming out of Patriots camp suggests that those tools are raw.
“I think of it as a marathon over a sprint,” Van Pelt continued when asked about Maye’s progress. “You just don’t go out and run a marathon. You have to train properly for a marathon. It’s the same with a quarterback.”
Brissett, meanwhile, is one of the league’s most experienced backups, a ninth-year veteran with 48 NFL starts under his belt. There’s no reason in New England to rush Maye. The Patriots have no intention of pushing him into a starting role before they believe he’s ready.
In a league where the pressure to succeed now often trumps the long-term picture, rookie quarterbacks are regularly thrust into the spotlight whether they’re ready or not. With a new staff under rookie head coach Jerod Mayo, the Patriots are prioritizing the long run over that short-term pressure.
“There’s a process,” Van Pelt continued. “We follow that process, we trust that process. You can’t just stick a guy out there and expect him to be successful without the proper training. … We always talk about earning your reps around here. As he continues to grow and have successful practices and starts stacking those, then we can think about moving him up the depth chart.”
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