The arrow on the 2024 New England Patriots is pointing down after back-to-back losses. But the arrow on their future is pointing up, thanks to the presence of No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye.
While Maye has yet to make an NFL start and took a beating in his brief Week 3 cameo against the New York Jets, the rookie quarterback is making impressive progress behind the scenes. Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said Maye has looked "really good" in practices, and as our Phil Perry reports, the 22-year-old has impressed his teammates with his poise and demeanor on the practice field.
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer shared more encouraging intel on Maye during his appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub's Zolak & Bertrand on Thursday.
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"He's the real deal, man," Breer said of Maye. "... There's definitely physical ability there that's gonna get the attention of guys in practice."
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The Patriots have been intentional about developing Maye, as well. While veteran Jacoby Brissett is the clear-cut starter, Maye still is getting about 30 percent of the first-team reps in practice.
"The job they've done with him in sequencing him and getting him ready to play I think has been pretty smart," Breer said. "Just the way they're getting him reps, and there's a hidden thing there with Jacoby that really illustrates the value of having Jacoby and somebody who's played for Alex Van Pelt before.
"You've heard the 30 percent number, right? Functionally, the way that works is, when they have a play or a concept that Jacoby is comfortable with that he's run 100 times, that's when they yank him out and put Maye in."
As Breer noted, there's "tremendous value" in Maye getting reps with the Patriots' starting offense in practice. But the UNC product is also making the most of the other 70 percent of snaps he takes with New England's scout team.
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"Getting to run the scout team, there's value in that," Breer said. "The Patriots defense throws a lot of volume at you. There's a lot of different things they're trying to do, so he gets to see that. It's another chance to look at a real NFL defense.
"Like I said last week, the expectation is he's going to play at some point this year -- and I don't mean play like he played last week; like, actually start games."
Mayo has confirmed that Brissett is QB1 until further notice, including in this Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers. But it's clear the Patriots are going out of their way to prioritize the development of their prized rookie.
"The Patriots have been pretty creative in finding ways to make sure that he gets the sort of miles on his body that he needs before he's going to play," Breer said.
Check out more from Breer on Zolak & Bertrand below or on YouTube: