Jacoby Brissett is the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots, but the team is still finding a way to get rookie Drake Maye valuable reps in practice.
NBC Sports Boston's Patriots insider Phil Perry reported before Week 1 that Maye was getting more reps with the starters in practice than most backup quarterbacks typically receive. It's all part of the Patriots' development plan for the No. 3 pick from the 2024 NFL Draft.
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo basically confirmed that Friday morning. He was asked how the team balances preparing Brissett to play as the starter while also developing Maye, and if he envisioned a 70-30 kind of split in reps during practices.
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"That's definitely accurate. It's not a secret. We have a quarterback in the wings that needs to continue to develop," Maye told reporters in his press conference. "Normally, I would say the starter gets, let's say, 95% of the reps and the backup doesn't. With this, it's a little bit different. We had a conversation, how do we – I guess the struggle is, how do you get your starting quarterback prepared for the game and also continue to develop the guy in the background, which is Drake.
"So, it is like a 70-30 split. You're right on the head. We’re very thoughtful. When we talk about (how) we have a development plan for Drake, that's part of it. I try not to get too deep into what that plan actually looks like, but he (Maye) still takes reps with the starters. He does a good job on the (scout) team as well. He's doing a good job, and you can see his confidence continuing to grow."
It's not a bad plan. Maye needs as many reps as possible, and if he's not going to get them in games, getting them in practice with the starters is the next-best thing. This team needs Maye to be as ready as possible before he steps onto the field in a real game for the first time. That won't happen if he's only getting a handful of meaningful practice reps each week.
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Mayo also credited Brissett with understanding the Patriots' plan and being a true professional about it. A starter going from 95 percent of the reps in practice to 70 percent might not seem like a lot, but it's certainly not typical.
"Yeah, since Day 1, I've always said that he's a true professional," Mayo said of Brissett. "I've always said that he's a great mentor, not only for Drake, but the other quarterback in the room in (Joe) Milton. He understands. Look, he's a professional. He's won games in this league. He understands that we drafted Drake as the No. 3 pick in the draft, and looking out the front windshield, at some point in time – I don't know when that time will come –he'll have to go out there and play.
"Just seeing the relationship in the quarterback room has been special for me. It is very hard. When we talk about checking your ego at the door, I would say that Jacoby is one of those guys that is egoless. He wants to do what's best for the team, not about him. Whether he throws for 150 yards or 350 yards, he's very consistent and just a true professional."
It remains to be seen when/if Maye will see the field this season, but the Patriots, to their credit, appear to be doing a good job giving him a chance to be as ready as possible when the moment comes.
In the meantime, Brissett will try to lead the Patriots to their first 2-0 start since 2019 when they host the Seattle Seahawks in Sunday's Week 2 matchup at Gillette Stadium.