Tom Brady is confident the New England Patriots have made the right call by sitting rookie quarterback Drake Maye out for the start of the new NFL season.
Nine-year veteran Jacoby Brissett will be under center for the Pats for the Week 1 opener on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, with No. 3 overall pick Maye forced to bide his time on the bench.
North Carolina alum Maye had an up-and-down training camp with the Patriots before showing flashes of his talent in the preseason, but concerns over the Patriots’ roster depth, particularly on the offensive line, have convinced head coach Jerod Mayo to gradually ease Maye into action in the pro ranks.
Seven-time Super Bowl champion and Patriots icon Brady believes that is the right decision. When asked whether he would have started Maye if he was in charge, he told “The Herd”: “I think it’s best for rookie quarterbacks to watch a veteran do it. There is so much going on and quarterbacks need to process so much information so quickly.
“I sat behind Drew Bledsoe in my first year and what a great player he was, someone I got to watch and learn from. Aaron Rodgers watched behind Brett Favre and Patrick Mahomes watched behind Alex Smith.
“When you have a real pro in front of you, they can help with that learning curve and the young quarterback isn’t necessarily going out there and losing confidence in what his abilities are.
Maye was the No. 3 overall pick out of UNC
“Ultimately, those young players are going to get opportunities. The franchises need those young quarterbacks to come in and take a big step and lead that franchise into the future. I just like to give them time to acclimate to the pro game and pro schedule. It’s a big difference between college football and professional football.”
The Patriots endured a miserable 4-13 season last year, bringing Bill Belichick’s trophy-laden tenure to an end. Although Maye’s arrival has renewed fans’ hopes of a brighter future for the team, this season is set to be challenging as rookie head coach Mayo takes the reins.
New England has what many pundits rate as one of the weakest rosters in the NFL, with a shortage of explosive playmakers and an unconvincing offensive line.
With Brissett, 31, being given the keys to the offense for now, Mayo insists Maye will get some first-team reps in practice, but the majority of his work will come on the scout team.
“[Brissett] will get the majority of the reps, while at the same time continuing to develop Drake in other ways. Now, a lot of you guys, I guess the next question would be, ‘How do you do that?’” Mayo told reporters on Monday.
“He will still participate in some of the team drills for the upcoming team. But I also think the show team reps are very important. They’ve always been important. Even when I was a rookie — I also was a top-10 pick, but even as a rookie, I was on those show teams. I think that’s another place where you can develop.”
