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Following last week's New England Patriots loss to the Miami Dolphins, head coach Jerod Mayo made the decision to bench Jacoby Brissett for this week's upcoming game vs the Houston Texans in favor of rookie Drake Maye. While it may have taken longer than some would have hoped, Patriots fans will now have a chance to see their team's number three overall draft pick in action as a starter for the first time in his career.
Now, Maye himself is revealing his one hundred percent honest reaction to his coach's decision as he begins as the Patriots QB1, per Kevin Patra of NFL.com.
“I think it's a great opportunity,” Maye said. “Something you dream of, getting your first start in the NFL. So excited to get out there with the guys, take advantage of having the full week to get prepared and try to put my best foot forward and help the team win.”
Maye also spoke on what it will take for him to be able to find his footing as a starting quarterback at the NFL level with the Patriots.
“I think the biggest thing is me playing on time,” Maye said. “Playing in rhythm and trusting the guys around me. The game plan is not going to change. … What we do on offense is what we do on offense. I'm not trying to give too much hints toward the game plan.”
Drake Maye played his college football at North Carolina for three years before entering this past NFL Draft, becoming the third player selected off of the board behind Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, both of whom have had strong starts to their own respective rookie NFL seasons.
While he is relatively mobile, it was Maye's arm strength and accuracy that led him to become a consensus top-five draft prospect throughout last season, and the hope now will be that the Patriots offensive line is able to hold up enough to give the youngster some time to put that talent on display.
The Patriots and Texans are slated to kick off at 1:00 PM ET on Sunday.
