Breaking News: Patriots’ Head Coach on Drake Maye’s Week 1 Starting Chances
New England Patriots fans might have to wait to see rookie quarterback Drake Maye take the field in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Former NFL quarterback and Patriots assistant coach Chris Simms shared his perspective following the May 16 schedule release. Despite the Bengals missing the playoffs in 2023, they are expected to bounce back with quarterback Joe Burrow returning from a season-ending wrist injury.
“I don’t think we’re going to see Drake Maye on day one. And especially now that I see the game is at Cincinnati, I think we’ll see Jacoby Brissett,” Simms said on Pro Football Talk on May 16.
Simms, who played in the NFL from 2003 to 2010 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, and Denver Broncos, later served on the Patriots coaching staff in 2012 before joining Pro Football Talk as an analyst. During his brief tenure in New England, the Patriots were led by Tom Brady in the midst of their 20-year dynasty. Maye, selected third overall, joins a team in the throes of a major rebuild, having not won a playoff game since Brady’s departure in 2020.
“I wouldn’t rule out Drake Maye taking the starting gig. Is it likely? No. Not in my estimation,” Simms said. “But he’s more advanced and ‘pro-ready’ than some of the other quarterbacks in his class in terms of his frame, his willingness and effectiveness throwing to the middle of the field, and his feel for pressure.”
“He’s also more accustomed to being in a less-than-ideal situation compared to guys like Jayden Daniels and J.J. McCarthy, both of whom could be Week 1 starters,” Simms added.
Maye played for a North Carolina team that went 17-10 over the past two seasons, which pales in comparison to Daniels’ LSU teams that went 20-7 and McCarthy’s Michigan squads that went 28-1 in the same span.
Patriots ‘Losers’ of NFL Schedule Release.
New England’s receiving corps isn’t ideal for Maye’s development yet, and the team brought in Brissett as a potential bridge quarterback and mentor. Brissett, who started his career with the Patriots as a third-round pick in 2016, has 48 career starts in his journeyman career.
For Week 1, Brissett’s experience against the Bengals could be valuable; he has thrown for 511 yards and three touchdowns against three interceptions in three career games against Cincinnati.
As the season approaches, the decision on who will start at quarterback for the Patriots remains one of the most anticipated storylines.
Leave a Reply