Former Patriots coach Bill Parcells has an interesting take on playing young QBs originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
When will Drake Maye play his first game for the New England Patriots?
That’s the debate raging across the region, especially after the rookie quarterback’s impressive performance in last Thursday’s exhibition game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Maye completed six of 11 pass attempts for 47 yards. He also ran five times and picked up 15 yards, including a 4-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter. The offense looked much more competent when Maye was running it compared to the veteran Jacoby Brissett.
There is no question that Maye has the physical tools to succeed. He has a powerful and accurate arm. His athleticism is impressive. He is 6’3” and weighs 220 pounds, so he can take a hit or two.
But physical fitness isn’t the only factor to consider when determining when to throw a young QB in the deep end.
According to Bill Parcells, former head coach of the Patriots, the mental aspect of the equation is also very important.
“Fans never consider the psychological makeup of the player you’re preparing to throw to the wolves,” Parcells recently told Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe. “What you really have to assess is the timing and the opportunity to succeed. Sometimes it destroys them when they don’t succeed.
“So I think you just have to look at what you’re dealing with personally. What kind of temperament he seems to have. How does he react to negative game situations or hard coaching?
“Fans are going to say, ‘Well, if he can’t handle it, we don’t want him anyway,’ but if this is a high draft pick, you have to do everything you can to give him a chance to succeed. Economically, it’s not in your best interest these days if he doesn’t succeed. It’s bad when you have a lot of expenses and no production.”
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Parcells’ first season with the Patriots was 1993. The team had just drafted Washington State quarterback Drew Bledsoe with the No. 1 overall pick. Bledsoe started the first five games of his rookie season and ended up playing in 13 of the 16 games that year. Bledsoe had a successful career in New England, leading the franchise to the Super Bowl in his fourth season (1996).
It will be fascinating to see when the Patriots deem Maye ready. You could make a strong argument that waiting until October is the right move. The team’s regular-season schedule has been brutal from the start, with games against the Bengals, Seahawks, Jets, 49ers, Dolphins and Texans in the first six weeks.
Another argument could be that it would provide valuable experience if Maye started straight away and he would immediately play against some play-off calibre opponents.
Either way, it’s a big decision for the Patriots and if they make it at the right time, it could have a huge positive impact on Maye’s development.
