Patriots rookie Drake Maye may have stolen the starting job on Sunday night.
Maye, the third overall pick in this year’s draft, had another stellar showing for New England, throwing for 126 yards and a touchdown in a 20-10 loss to the Commanders, which saw presumed starter Jacoby Brissett exit early in the first half due to a shoulder injury.
Maye had a 47-yard touchdown throw to fellow rookie Ja’Lynn Polk called back due to a holding penalty and also completed a pass despite losing his cleat when a lineman stepped on his foot.
The performance and Maye’s steady improvement throughout the offseason may have flipped the script on New England’s presumed plan to start Brissett early in the season.
“What I will say is this is a true competition … and I would say at this current point, Drake has outplayed Jacoby,” head coach Jerod Mayo said on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” on Monday morning. “Now in saying that, we have to take in the full body of work, going all the way back to the spring and beginning of training camp, and we’ll see where we end up. But those are the conversations that will happen here over the next couple of days.”
The 21-year-old Maye has been building a case this offseason to be named QB1.
He ran for a touchdown and led two of the team’s three scoring drives against the Eagles last week.
Despite the flashes, first-year coach Mayo has not anointed the former North Carolina star just yet.
“I think early on he was trying to defer and just be a good teammate,” Mayo said of Maye on 98.5 The Sports Hub, per Pro Football Talk.
“Now, he’s competing to be the starting quarterback; he’s really kind of ramped up his preparation and production on the field.”
Brissett, in his second stint with the Patriots, has long been expected to be the Week 1 starter but has struggled at times during the preseason.
Although his night ended shortly after being sacked by Commanders defensive end KJ Henry, Mayo said the 31-year-old quarterback “would have been able to continue.”
“I talked to him, but we’ll see [Monday],” Mayo said of Brissett, who has thrown for 36 yards and an interception this preseason. “But he said he was good.”
If the Patriots decide to hand the keys over to Maye, the rookie believes he “would feel ready.”
“I think I’m ready for whatever this football team asks of me and ready to get out there and try to help us beat the Bengals Week 1,” Maye said, per NFL.com.
The Bengals will host the Patriots on Sunday, Sept. 8 at 1 p.m.
