Drake Maye’s early rise falls flat as Patriots training camp begins

Armed with a top 3 draft pick and a need for a new quarterback, it was clear the Patriots were going to select their (hopeful) next franchise player in the first round earlier this year. They were fortunate to land the guy they wanted in Drake Maye and added a solid backup in Joe Milton III.

The addition of Maye and his projected potential upon joining the league threw a wrench into Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf's initial plans regarding who the starting quarterback would be this upcoming season. They had signed Jacoby Brissett in free agency and planned on him being the QB1, no matter who they drafted.

But given how good Maye is expected to be and the less-than-exciting career Brissett has had thus far, many assumed the decision to make the rookie the starter would be easy.

That appeared to be the track they were on after seeing Maye climb the ranks during OTAs and minicamp. Beginning the spring as the third-stringer behind Brissett and Bailey Zappe, he ended the practices as the QB2. He impressed the coaches, his teammates, and his fans, and it seemed like he might have a solid shot at winning the starting role much sooner than anyone could have guessed.

However, Mayo's comments from his opening press conference at Tuesday's start of training camp indicated otherwise.

Jerod Mayo makes his stance clear regarding the Patriots quarterback situation

Since this was the first time reporters had the opportunity to speak to the head coach since mini camp ended in June, one of the first questions asked surrounded the eventual decision of who would be named the starter quarterback.

Mayo didn't shy away from the question and made his vision very clear; Brissett is the starter and proved he was the most ready for the role throughout the spring.

"Coming out of the spring, I don’t think there’s any doubt. Jacoby [Brissett] is the starting quarterback at this point in time. We can look at these other quarterbacks on the roster. At the same time, it’s about competition. And so when we get out on the field this summer with the pads on, we’ll see how it all plays out. But coming out of the spring, I think it’s clear that Jacoby is the most pro-ready guy we have and played a lot of football."

Although nothing he said was explicitly negative or downplaying what Maye has shown in such a short time, it seems to contradict what was seen during the spring practices. The reviews for Maye created headlines over the weeks, and it began to look like the rookie might be given the keys after all.

Fans, reporters, and former players expressed their opinions on the subject, with some believing the only right move is to put Maye under center as soon as Week 1. Others believe it would be best for him to sit behind Brissett before being thrown to the wolves, especially since the Patriots' schedule is not expected to be easy.

Both arguments have valid points, and as of right now, it looks like Mayo is leaning on the side of caution with the rookie. While it may not be the popular decision, it might be their best chance of avoiding another Mac Jones situation and giving Maye a better opportunity to learn the ropes before taking over the offense.

Things can change on a dime in the NFL, though, so Mayo's early assessment of the quarterback depth chart could easily change throughout training camp.

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