Should the New England Patriots thrust Drake Maye into the starting role early this season, or should they be patient and, perhaps, redshirt the No. 3 pick for his entire rookie campaign?
We probably know how Tom Brady would answer that question.
Some rookie quarterbacks are ready to start right away — Dan Marino and C.J. Stroud certainly come to mind. Others, such as Brady and Jordan Love, need at least a full season of development.
And after listening to Brady’s recent comments on “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” it might be fair to say he believes Maye belongs in the latter category.
Tom Brady Decries ‘Tragedy’ of Starting Rookie QBs Too Early
While appearing on Smith’s podcast, Brady offered a lengthy, thorough takedown of the modern rush to anoint rookie quarterbacks before they’re ready.
Here’s the full quote:
“There used to be college programs. Now there are college teams. You’re no longer learning a program, you’re learning a playbook. And the program is ultimately — like at Michigan for me, that is a pro-style program. For five years, I got to learn how to drop-back pass, to read defenses, to read coverages, to be coached.
“I had to learn from being the seventh quarterback on the depth chart to moving up to third to ultimately being the starter. I had to learn all those things in college. That was development. Then I went to New England and I was developed by Coach Belichick and the offensive staff there. I didn’t start my first year.
“I think it’s just a tragedy that we’re forcing these rookies to play early, but the reality is the only reason why we are is because we’ve dumbed the game down, which has allowed them to play. It used to be thought of at a higher level. We used to spend hours and hours in the offseason, in training camp, trying to be a little bit better the next year.
“But I think what happens is it discourages the coaches from going to deep levels because they realize the players don’t have the opportunity to go to a deep level. So they’re just going to teach them where they’re at.”
.@TomBrady on the tragedy that is being forced on rookie QBs in today’s NFL pic.twitter.com/IReSLdYL1R
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) August 19, 2024
Brady’s take directly applies to what the Patriots are going through with their new franchise quarterback.
Maye wasn’t considered a pro-ready prospect when he entered the 2024 NFL Draft. While at UNC, Maye ran an Air Raid-style offense, primarily played out of the shotgun, rarely took snaps under center, and didn’t call plays in the huddle. Play-action also wasn’t a big part of UNC’s offense.
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In New England, Maye is learning Alex Van Pelt’s version of the West Coast offense, which emphasizes play-action, outside-zone reads, and long dropbacks. Maye must be able to execute quick, rhythmic passes rather than relying on deep, explosive plays. He also must learn how to lead in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage.
His first two weeks of training camp were a struggle. Maye wasn’t decisive, lacked confidence, and his timing with receivers was off. Conversely, Jacoby Brissett, who has experience in Van Pelt’s scheme, looked like the obvious choice to start the season opener.
But things changed over the last week, with Maye breaking out against the Philadelphia Eagles and outperforming Brisset in two ensuing practices. Brissett bounced back on Monday and still looks primed to start Week 1, but his head hasn’t announced a winner of the quarterback competition.
How Soon will Drake Maye play for the Patriots?
If you asked me a week ago, I would’ve leaned toward Maye sitting out the entire season. He looked that raw.
But his improvement can’t be overstated, and his timeline might’ve changed as a result. Now, I could see the Patriots starting Maye sometime in the first half of the season, especially if Brissett is struggling and the season is circling down the drain.
But Week 1? I just don’t think it’s in the cards for Maye.
As of this writing, Maye still hadn’t taken a single competitive rep with center David Andrews — which is the real barometer of the QB competition. Brissett’s repped as the No. 1 quarterback all summer, and he’s been the cleaner, more effective QB in situational team drills.
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Regardless of what Mayo has said about the QB competition, his managing of Brissett and Maye during practice has sent an unambiguous message.
Still, as Brady noted, teams now “dumb down” their offenses to reflect where a prized rookie QB is in their development. Time will tell whether the Patriots follow that trend or play the long game with Maye.
To that end, this quote from Jerod Mayo’s recent appearance on WEEI feels relevant:
“We came into this season, like right after we drafted Drake … with a plan,” Mayo said. “A development plan. And so sometimes I feel like — not that people are talking out of both sides of their mouths, but, you know, we talk about how he’s developed here during training camp, but also, ‘Why isn’t he playing?’
“And so … we’re going to stick to the plan. It may not be a popular plan, but we’re doing what we think is right for the organization — not only in the near term but also the long term.”
Brady probably would co-sign that approach.