Struggling Patriots turn to first-round pick Drake Maye for first start

The New England Patriots are poised to give first-round draft pick Drake Maye his first professional start in an effort to snap a four-game losing streak that has haunted the team under veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett, according to an NFL Network report released on Tuesday.

Maye has had limited game time so far, having appeared only during the final moments of a Week 3 loss to the New York Jets, where he completed 4 of 8 passes for 22 yards. Brissett, on the other hand, has struggled significantly, completing just 79 of 135 passes with two touchdowns and one interception over the course of five games. Remarkably, he hasn’t exceeded 150 net passing yards in any match this season. Maye is expected to take the field as the starting quarterback when the Patriots host the Houston Texans this Sunday.

Since Tom Brady’s departure in 2020, during which he led the franchise to six Super Bowl victories, the Patriots have been actively searching for their next franchise quarterback. They’ve turned to veterans like Cam Newton and used high draft picks on quarterbacks such as Mac Jones, but have only made it to the playoffs once—resulting in a disappointing exit—since Brady left.

In a surprising twist, after selecting Jones 15th overall in the 2021 draft and starting him immediately, the Patriots seemed to pivot away from that strategy just three seasons later, opting instead to draft Maye third overall.

Despite the team’s ongoing struggles, particularly with the offensive line, head coach Jerod Mayo initially chose to stick with Brissett rather than throw the rookie from North Carolina into a challenging position. For four weeks, Mayo publicly backed Brissett, but on Monday, his stance changed, stating, “We have to look at every single unit and every single player and figure out how we can use this roster to go out there and win games.”