Drake Maye starting for Patriots in Week 6 was first revealed by unlikely source

Update: Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported after the publication of this article that Drake Maye will start for the New England Patriots in Week 6.

It was made clear early on that the Patriots' plan at quarterback was to have Jacoby Brissett serve as the veteran bridge starter to mentor and guide rookie Drake Maye until, presumably, the 2025 season to give him as much time to learn the NFL as possible. It's a plan that many other teams have followed throughout history, and it has been wildly successful for their long-term success, individually and as a team.

There was an acceptance by fans that it was the best idea given where the Patriots roster was and how difficult their 2024 schedule was expected to be. But as they head into Week 6 with a 1-4 record, the talk of benching Brissett for Maye has been kicked into high gear, with even Jerod Mayo hinting a quarterback change might be on the horizon.

Their loss to the Dolphins was the latest rough performance and should have been a game they won, especially given how dysfunctional Miami is at this point in the season. But penalties, questionable play-calling, and inconsistent defense made for another heartbreaking and embarrassing loss.

It has added fuel to the allegations of the locker room "teetering on a mutiny" that went viral last week, which is something fans hope doesn't come to fruition, hence their calls for Maye to be given the start against the Texans next week.

Although there was no definitive answer about the Patriots quarterback decision after the game, another hint is making the rounds online that suggest a decision has already been made.

ESPN's fantasy football app might have just tipped off the league regarding Patriots QB decision

Fans took notice that Brissett is currently projected to have zero points, while Maye, for the first time this season, is projected for 11.2 points.

It seems to suggest the plan is to bench Brissett in favor of Maye, but how would the fantasy football app know this before the rest of us do?

There's certainly an argument to be made about the timing of starting Maye since the Texans are a good team with a solid pass rush, which doesn't bode well for an inconsistent offensive line in New England, but we'll have to wait and see.

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