Is Drake Maye playing this week? Latest updates for Patriots preseason Week 2

The Patriots' second of three preseason games is somehow already here, with the Eagles in town for a Super Bowl LVII rematch without any of the same players, or stakes, or TV viewers. It also doesn't help that the weather forecast looks terrible. Historically speaking, the second preseason game is typically when starters tend to begin getting more reps, and now that teams only play three games, that'll only increase.

And while there are certainly the weirdos among us who are interested in how many reps CB2 is going to get, the increased snap count intrigue only really applies to one very specific rookie quarterback. Drake Maye will (presumably) be suiting up for the second Patriots game of his career, and after only throwing three passes in the team's preseason debut against Carolina, lots of slightly-nervous fans – you will pay for your crimes Colin Cowherd – are curious whether Maye's going to play more on Thursday night.

Jerod Mayo says Drake Maye will get more reps in Preseason Week 2

I believe you, Jerod! Frankly, it'd be hard for Maye to be active and get fewer reps than he did against the Panthers, but Patriots fans will take what they can get. If you're one to buy into joint practice stats, Maye looked sharp all week – he reportedly had his strongest performances of camp this week, quieting some of the concerns that people had about his NFL career after [checks notes] three preseason passes.

But all's well that ends well, and it sounds like Maye's good for at least a quarter or two tonight. After that, it could very well be the last we see of Bailey Zappe in a Patriots uniform, so enjoy that while you can. We'll always have those few wonderful drives against the Bears.

Update about tonight's game: