Ernie Adams shares when he believes Drake Maye should be Patriots starter

All eyes are on the quarterbacks this offseason, especially third-overall pick Drake Maye, who the Patriots believe can be the face of the franchise in 2024 and beyond. A lot has been said about his performance so far at training camp, with some making outlandish statements about what type of quarterback he will be, but early struggles from a rookie are not uncommon.

It's prompted a lot of conversation about his readiness for the regular season, as he is competing with Jacoby Brissett for the starting role this fall.

Brissett has outshined his rookie counterpart thus far on the practice field, but given his experience in the league and previously working with offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, seeing the quarterback thrive during practice is the least shocking part of the offseason.

Although the veteran isn't as explosive of a player as Maye has shown he can be during his days at UNC, Brissett has the experience to keep an offense together and more than enough skill to help a team win games.

Maye has those capabilities as well, we just haven't seen much of it yet during training camp. Some believe this means he's not ready to be the guy under center this year, whether it be at the start of the season or at all, which is becoming a more shared opinion by reporters and most recently, a well-respected name in New England.

Ernie Adams shares how the Patriots should go about Drake Maye's immediate future as the starting quarterback

During his most recent appearance on Julian Edelman's "Games With Names" podcast, Ernie Adams was asked about Maye and how he sees his rookie season unfolding.

He discussed the most crucial part of determining when a quarterback is genuinely ready to be handed the keys to the offense and emphasized that it's not something you can force. He revealed he wouldn't start Maye Week 1 if he didn't look ready, especially since he is "married to the team" now for at least the next four years. When he's ready, they will know.

“If they asked me, which they haven’t, when should they start Drake Maye: they should start him when he’s ready. And you can’t invent that. If he’s not ready to start for the first week, don’t start him. Maybe it’s going to be the middle of the season or however that works out. But at some point, he’s going to go in and be the quarterback and he’s going to go a full chance to show what he can do.”

While he does not necessarily advocate for Jerod Mayo and the new regime not to put Maye in during the 2024 season, which at least one former Patriot has suggested, he makes many good points about not forcing him in just to have him start. History has shown us far too much how bad that can go and the long-term impact it could have on a young quarterback, so it would be best for the Patriots not to do that with Maye.

Doing anything to potentially recreate what happened with Mac Jones is a big no-no, especially at the start of Mayo's tenure as the team's head coach. Throwing Maye in too early could easily replicate that situation.

How the rest of training camp and preseason pans out for Maye and the offense will make deciding who will be the starting quarterback much easier. If the rookie isn't ready, then he's not ready, and that's a decision fans will need to be good with.

It doesn't mean Maye is a lousy quarterback or isn't what they thought he would be. It would just mean there's more to work on, whether his skillset or within the roster around him, and it's best to keep him on the bench than throw him to the wolves before he's ready.

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