Drake Maye’s strong NFL preseason outing opens door to win Patriots’ starting QB gig

When the New England Patriots selected Drake Maye third overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, their initial idea was to have the former UNC quarterback learn behind proven veteran Jacoby Brissett.

After New England’s first two preseason games, Maye could be closer to starting than we think.

On Thursday, Aug. 15 in the Patriots’ 14-13 loss to the Eagles, Maye outplayed Brissett. Maye scored his first NFL touchdown on a 4-yard read option. Maye ended his night completing 6-of-11 passes for a team-high 47 yards, compared to a 3-of-7 night with 17 yards and an interception for Brissett.

Keep in mind, New England head coach Jerod Mayo previously said Brissett would start over Maye .

“We have three more days of training camp practices, and it’s our job as coaches to evaluate,” Mayo told CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan. “The competition isn’t over. They’re still going to go out there, and they have to show not only themselves and their coaches but also their teammates. So, it’s definitely still a competition.”

With how Mayo answered this question, I get the feeling that Maye will force him to make a tough decision. If Mayo has already made up his mind that Maye is his guy , he’ll need to find a way to tell Brissett, the guy whom the Patriots signed to be their starter.

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