Drake Maye is undoubtedly the presumed quarterback of the future in New England, but he isn’t the Patriots’ starter right now.
That job continues to fall 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 today, which was a change from previous practices open to reporters.
But it is clear who is number 1 now.
Alex Van Pelt: “Jacoby is our starter again. He is playing excellent football for us this spring.” pic.twitter.com/VG4EMcu4EB
— Phil Perry (@PhilAPerry) June 4, 2024
“Jacoby is our starter again,” Van Pelt told reporters. “He’s playing excellent football for us this spring. And Drake is coming. Until that changes, we’ll stick with what we have.”
Van Pelt noted there is “no timetable” for the team to move on from Maye, who 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 on the field with his throwing ability.
“Drake Maye, let’s face it, we’ve had him for three weeks now. There’s still a long way to go for all of our rookies and all of our players as we adjust to this new plan that Coach Van Pelt is implementing offensively.”
Van Pelt: Maye’s progress is ‘impressive’
Van Pelt praised Maye on Tuesday, calling his progress “impressive.”
“He’s come out and taken everything from the classroom, everything from our individual periods and applied it to the team practices,” Van Pelt said. “He’s been impressive so far. The biggest things we’re working on with him now are obviously group plays, which is new for a lot of these students. And then just playing in rhythm and in time with your feet .”
Maye echoed Van Pelt’s coaching during a call with reporters.
“It’s easy to get them and know what I’m going to do,” Maye said Tuesday about implementing calls, according to Boston.com. “But telling those guys and being in the huddle and different guys making gestures, using my cadence. Just playing quarterback, playing the position.
“Not so much making throws and stuff. I also think footwork is a big thing. We’ve been pushing on that. I think it’s a work in progress, and I feel pretty good about it.”
When does Maye start?
Maye joins the Patriots after a standout two-season stint as the starter for North Carolina. He’s a 6-foot-4, 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 the Patriots camp suggests these tools are raw.
“I see it as a marathon over a sprint,” Van Pelt continued when asked about Maye’s progress. “You don’t just run a marathon. You have to train well for a marathon. The same goes for a quarterback.”
Brissett, meanwhile, is one of the most experienced backups in the league, a ninth-year veteran with 48 NFL starts under his belt. There’s no reason in New England to rush Maye. The Patriots don’t plan to push him into a starting role until they think 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 for it or not. With a new staff led by rookie head coach Jerod Mayo, the Patriots are prioritizing the long term over short-term pressures.
“There is a process,” Van Pelt continued. “We follow that process, we trust that process. You can’t just lock someone out and expect them to be successful without the proper training. … We always talk about earning your reps here. As he continues to grow and train successfully and they’re starting to pile up, then we can think about moving him up the depth chart.”
