Drake Maye says all the right things about not being Patriots starter Week 1

One of the longest-drawn-out debates this past offseason surrounded the inevitable decision the Patriots and Jerod Mayo had to make regarding who would be named the starting quarterback for the 2024 season. Although the plan all along pointed to Jacoby Brissett, rookie Drake Maye impressed throughout training camp and preseason, prompting many to declare he won the job.

Even with that in mind and said by the head coach, Brissett was named the starter and remained there until the team decided it was time to start Maye in Week 6. Given how well he performed despite going against a tough team like the Texans, many argued the rookie should have begun the season under center instead of on the bench.

That will likely remain a topic of conversation for the foreseeable future, despite being unable to change the past, and we'll never know how different the season would have started if Maye were the starter all along.

The good thing, however, is that Maye's feelings on the matter don't align with how fans and reporters have felt over the past six weeks, and he emphasized that further while speaking to reporters on Wednesday afternoon.

Drake Maye couldn't have had a better response to not starting for the Patriots from Week 1

With the rumors of a potential mutiny brewing in the locker room of the Patriots' decision to keep Maye on the bench, there has been a lot of talk about how the quarterback felt about the situation and if he held the same feelings about remaining sidelined until mid-season.

He finally put the assumptions to rest on Wednesday when he spoke about some of the benefits of watching the first five games from the bench and what he was able to soak in and learn from Brissett during that time, some of which he believed he wouldn't have been ready to do had he been the Week 1 starter.

It was a great response and seemingly put many arguments to rest regarding why Maye should have started much sooner than he did. While it might not have been the ideal situation for many, it's clear the benefits outweigh the negatives in the quarterback's development, much like former players (like Tom Brady) have spoken about for rookies in Maye's position.

Maybe if he had started sooner, the Patriots would have a better win/loss record than they do heading into their Week 7 matchup with the Jaguars. But the 2024 season was never going to be competitive, as the team continues to undergo a much-needed rebuild for the future.

The goal now is to build a solid team around Maye so the Patriots can regain their spot atop the division and league for years to come. It's likely that he learned some invaluable things by watching the first five games unfold from the sidelines.

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