J
erod Mayo won’t add to the quarterback depth chart for the New England Patriots, despite believing rookie Drake Maye still isn’t ready to take the reins. Maye needing more time means the Pats could add a veteran passer, but nothing is imminent.
Mayo made clear he’s not on the lookout for quarterback help while waiting for Maye to make progress, per Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald: “He’s looked good in practice, but once again, it’s just practice. You want to get a guy like that, obviously, on the football field, but at this current time – I don’t want to go back to that answer – but at this current time, we’re just not looking to add any pieces at that spot.”
Those words mean the Patriots are content to continue relying on Maye and 31-year-old Jacoby Brissett handling the chores at football’s most important position. It’s a risk, not just because there are still some credible signal-callers on the veteran market, but also because Brissett has been taking a heavy beating behind a feeble offensive line.
Jerod Mayo’s Waiting Game With Drake Maye Has Risks
Maye got in for a few snaps during the dying moments of Week 3’s 24-3 defeat to the New York Jets, but there are no immediate plans to give the third pick in the 2024 NFL draft an extended look.
The common consensus is Mayo and the Patriots are doing the right thing playing a waiting game. Among those who endorse this approach is Kyed’s colleague Andrew Callahan, who doesn’t believe the Patriots should risk Maye behind “some of the worst NFL pass protection I’ve ever seen.”
Callahan underlined New England’s problems in protection with these numbers: “Better than unblocked rushers. Better than 10 QB hits/game. Better than 47%, 44% and 62% pressure rates without facing a single great pass rush.”
Those dismal statistics are why Callahan thinks the Patriots should “Just get a veteran backup QB in Foxboro *now.*”
Taking a safety first approach with Maye makes sense, but the Patriots can’t afford to be too risk-averse. Not when Maye is the kind of dynamic playmaker the franchise has lacked at quarterback since Tom Brady was still in town.
Maye is a better athlete than Brady, somebody who can compensate for a struggling offensive line. The way the 22-year-old did on this play against the Jets, when he evaded immediate pressure and stepped up to connect with wide receiver DeMario Douglas, per Mike Kadlick of Patriots on CLNS.
This play was a reminder of how a gifted quarterback makes everybody around him better. It’s what Brady did for years.
The Patriots need Maye to do the same precisely because they lack elite talent along the O-line and among the receiver corps. Watching Brissett continue to take his lumps only postpones the inevitable.
Another Veteran QB Won’t Help Patriots
Acquiring experienced competition for Brissett isn’t going to help the Pats win games. There are some decent options available, including Pro Bowler Ryan Tannehill, but his arrival would only delay the Patriots finding out what they have in Maye.
Even cameos for the latter provide invaluable intel for Mayo and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. In the meantime, Brissett’s calmness and resilience provides a measure of stability for a rebuilding team.
Taking nine sacks in three games is a problem, but Brissett is saying all the right things. Like when he told reporters, “my confidence doesn’t change with the O-line. The plays are going to come. They’re going to settle in. It’s week-to-week each week, and if we put our best foot forward, we’ll be all right,” per NBCS Boston’s Nick Goss.
Rallying players together in tough moments is what a veteran leader does, but Brissett isn’t going to make the game-changing plays the Patriots need on the field. Nor is another established QB.
Mayo’s right to stick with what he has, but he may need to promote Maye sooner than he would have liked.
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