New England Patriots head coach inadvertently adds fuel to speculation Drake Maye is losing QB battle to Joe Milton

Following the New England Patriots’ first game of 2024 preseason, head coach Jerod Mayo may have inadvertently added more fuel to concerns Drake Maye is losing the quarterback battle to fellow rookie Joe Milton.

While the Patriots’ pursuit of a blockbuster trade for 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk garnered many headlines this week, there is no bigger story in training camp than the battle for the Week 1 starting QB spot. Heading into the summer, most assumed either veteran Jacoby Brissett or first-round pick Drake Maye would land the starting gig.

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However, sixth-round pick Joe Milton has created serious buzz in camp due to his strong play and versatility. That has only been compounded by Maye having a rough start to his early days as an NFL player. Milton outshining Maye was again the case on Thursday night. And comments from head coach Jerod Mayo only seemed to confirm that fact.

First, the bad news. While Maye did not perform poorly, it seems his play with the second-team offensive line has worried Mayo.

“If he’s in there, you want him in there with the starting offensive line,” Mayo said after pulling him when the second team offense entered the game. “We’ve got to protect the guy. Not saying we don’t have to protect the other guys, but that absolutely did go into it.”

Drake Maye stats (Vs. Panthers): 2-3, 19 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 84.0 passer rating

The notion makes sense since the organization has a lot invested in Maye. However, he is a young QB who needs to be developed, and believing he won’t have any success without the best linemen available defending him is worrisome. Especially when Milton hasn’t had that problem.

New England Patriots head coach singles out Joe Milton’s strong play in preseason opener

On the flip side of things, Milton once again added to the momentum he has developed this summer. He was the only QB to throw a touchdown in Thursday’s preseason win over the Carolina Panthers, took no sacks, and showed his versatility with 22 yards on the ground.

When asked after the game if there was any specific player who stood out with strong performances, Milton was the first that came to mind for Mayo. And then he went on to shower the former Tennessee star with a bunch of praise.

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“I need to go back and watch the film, but the easy answer would be Joe,” Mayo said in his post-game presser . “It’s been a long time — I don’t think we’ve ever seen a quarterback here run around as much as he did and still get the ball downfield … Joe went out there, we know he has a big arm and he has the athleticism. He’s getting better with his reads every single day. He has natural leadership ability.”

Joe Milton stats (Vs. Panthers): 4-6, 76 total yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions, 134.7 passer rating

The New England Patriots return to the field next Thursday for a game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

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