The New England Patriots' decision to name veteran Jacoby Brissett the Week 1 starting quarterback over rookie Drake Maye was not a huge surprise.
Sure, Maye did play very well in the final two preseason games, but throwing a young player into the fire early in the season can have long-lasting negative consequences. And let's not forget, the Patriots' schedule to begin the season is absolutely brutal. It's loaded with matchups against playoff-caliber opponents including the Bengals, 49ers, Jets, Dolphins and Texans.
Former Patriots players Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer and Devin McCourty are among the people who agreed with the team's decision to start Brissett.
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We can now add Rob Gronkowski to that list, although the future Hall of Fame tight end does think Maye will see the field at some point in 2024.
"I expect Drake Maye to play, I'm just not sure exactly when," Gronkowski recently told Bleacher Report's Scott Polacek. "Maybe halfway through the season. I think it was a great play to start Jacoby Brissett, let Drake develop. Jacoby is a veteran, he knows how to handle situations that Drake wouldn't know how to handle, especially pressure coming off the edge and up the middle.
"The game can be fast for a rookie, and the supporting cast around Drake isn't that up to par either. It's great to let him develop and let Jacoby handle blitzes and guys when they aren't blocked on the offensive line blunders that let someone free. But Drake Maye has a lot of potential, he's going to be the guy in the future."
Even if the 2024 season is likely to be a difficult one for the Patriots -- many experts are predicting they'll finish at the bottom of the AFC standings for the second year in a row -- Gronkowski sounds bullish on the team's chances down the road.
"I think the team will struggle a little bit this year, but I think at the same time they are on the right path," Gronkowski told Polacek. "They are moving in the right direction. They have a core staple of guys that they signed in the offseason. Give them two or three years, and they could have a team in the future."
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Taking it slow with a rookie is rarely a bad idea.
Even Gronkowski didn't play a huge role early in his 2010 rookie campaign. In fact, he tallied only one reception in five of his first seven games, and he never cracked the 50-yard mark over that span. He caught four or more passes in six of his final nine games that season, finishing with 42 receptions for 546 yards and 10 touchdowns in 16 games.
This experience was helpful for Gronkowski, who had a historic second season that included a tight end record 17 touchdown catches.
It's not an apples-to-apples comparison, of course. Quarterback and tight end are different positions. Gronkowski saw the field in Week 1 as a rookie, and it's quite possible Maye does not. But it does show there's value in taking it slow with talented rookies and not putting too much pressure and expectations on them right away.