Breer: What needs to happen for Drake Maye to start for Patriots?

Breer: What needs to happen for Drake Maye to start for Patriots originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

For better or worse, the biggest question surrounding the 2024 New England Patriots concerns Drake Maye, and specifically when the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft will make his first career start.

Maye has made significant progress behind the scenes, with our Phil Perry hearing from multiple Patriots players who were impressed with the rookie quarterback’s poise and processing abilities in practice. And after Maye made his first appearance in New England’s loss to the New York Jets last Thursday night, calls for the rookie to play against veteran Jacoby Brissett have grown louder.

NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport threw cold water on those calls Sunday morning, emphasizing that Maye is “a ways away” from starting in New England. But the rookie QB appears to be gaining positive momentum. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer offered more insight into Maye’s development and what the team thought about his NFL debut against the Jets on Sunday on NBC Sports Boston’s Patriots Pregame Live.

“What they saw in that game against the Jets, they saw his legs show up, they saw his overall athleticism show up, and a really important part of that was also they saw his ability to take a hit,” Breer said. ‘That was not the intention. They didn’t want him to get beat up, but they did get to see that part of it.”

Maye picked up a pair of sacks and five QB hits on just one drive while working with a shaky Patriots offensive line, but he was able to avoid pressure on a handful of plays, scrambling for 12 yards on two rushes. So, what else does New England want to see before Maye takes over for Brissett full-time?

The answer to that question is twofold, Breer explained.

“My expectation is that he will start sometime this year, but there are two pieces of the puzzle needed here,” Breer said. “The first piece will be his own willingness to play in a way where the good habits can be maintained through hits, and he doesn’t return to any of the bad habits.

And then of course there has to be a (second) part, which is that the Patriots around him are ready to play him and support him as a starting quarterback.

“You can go back to that game against the Jets: the good was that he was able to get in there; the bad is why he was there, which means the game was a blowout – which would indicate that the Patriots might be a little further away to be able to support him in starting games as a starting quarterback.”

It appears Maye has almost checked off the first box of practicing enough and showing limited game action to prove he’s ready. The offense could be that second box — specifically, an offensive line that allowed the second-highest QB pressure in the NFL this season and hampered an operation that looked dysfunctional in Week 3 against the Jets.

So if the Patriots can find more stability on the offensive line and show more offensive competence — starting this Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers — it could go a long way toward Maye finally taking the reins.

Watch the video above to hear more from Breer about Maye’s progress.