Drake Maye won't be the New England Patriots' starting quarterback when they open the season against the Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday. But there are still ways the rookie can showcase his talents behind the scenes.
Just ask longtime NFL quarterback Brian Hoyer, who spent 15 seasons with eight different teams (including the Patriots) while serving in every role from starter to backup to third-stringer.
On a new episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast with Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry, Hoyer explained how Maye could get creative in practice as a "scout team" quarterback by mimicking the opponent's QB1 to prepare New England's first-string defense for what they might face.
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"To me, it was always fun because it was like, 'Who are we playing?,'" Hoyer told Curran and Perry. "'OK, this week we're playing the Bengals. Joe Burrow, pretty much a drop-back quarterback, I'm not gonna try to do a ton of scrambling. I'm gonna see the card, I'm going to read the play, maybe compare it to a play that's similar that we have and run it that way.'
As Hoyer recalled, however, some scout-team duties are more entertaining than others -- especially when you're tasked with imitating the NFL's most dynamic quarterback in Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes.
"The weeks that I was playing against the Chiefs were always the most fun because it was like, 'I can do whatever I want,'" Hoyer said. "I've literally attempted behind-the-back passes as a scout team quarterback with Patrick Mahomes.
"I told him that last year. I said, 'It's always my favorite week,' and I (told him), 'I know one day you'll attempt it in the game.' And sure enough, he did that this year in the preseason."
So, perhaps Maye can channel his inner Aaron Rodgers as the Patriots prepare for the New York Jets in Week 3. But higher on Maye's list of priorities should be learning New England's own offense, as the team would turn to the talented rookie if starter Jacoby Brissett struggles or gets injured.
Hoyer noted the Patriots should give Maye as many practice reps with their own offense as possible. But there's also an extra step Maye can take to stay ready, which Hoyer witnessed first-hand last season as a backup QB for the Raiders.
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"I was in Las Vegas last year and Jimmy (Garoppolo) was the starter, I was the backup, Aidan O'Connell was the third-string quarterback," Hoyer said. "And every day after practice, (O'Connell) would walk with whatever rookies and one of our quality control coaches, and he would go through every rep of practice on his own.
"So, maybe that's something Drake has to do to stay ready. And that paid off for Aidan in the end, because he was able to take over and do pretty well when his name was called."
O'Connell replaced the injured Garoppolo as a spot starter in Week 4 but exceeded expectations to the point where he was named Las Vegas' full-time starter in Week 9, even after Garoppolo returned from injury. Maye has loftier expectations as the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft (O'Connell was a fourth-rounder), but if he wants to make a strong first impression, putting in extra practice work might be a wise move.
Check out Hoyer's full conversation with Curran and Hoyer by subscribing to the Patriots Talk Podcast, or watch on YouTube.