Is Drake Maye playing today? Latest update for Patriots vs. Commanders
After being sidelined for most of the Patriots' first preseason game against the Panthers a few weeks ago, Drake Maye spent the entirety of the second quarter and part of the third in the game, scoring a rushing touchdown to cap off his performance.
Although his statistics might not appear as impressive as some of his fellow rookie signal callers around the league, Maye showcased the poise of a veteran starter and his deep throws when under center. He looked every bit the part of the player the Patriots drafted to take over the franchise after the failure of Mac Jones, which was significant after what most labeled a disappointing summer of training camp.
He will now have one last chance to show what he can do before the focus shifts to the regular season and the new regime ultimately makes the decision of which quarterback will be the team's starter for Week 1.
For the entire offseason, Jerod Mayo and Alex Van Pelt have insisted that Brissett is the starter, which was expected given his experience and the state of the offense. However, that has slightly shifted in recent weeks after Maye's performance improved during practice and against the Eagles last week.
While it makes the most sense for the starter to remain, Brissett, especially with the offensive line looking problematic, we may hear the rookie won the job, as most fans believe he gives the Patriots the best chance of winning games this season.
But one game separates us from that news, with the Commanders the last team on the docket for the 2024 offseason.
Drake Maye is expected to play in the Patriots preseason finale vs. the Commanders
According to Mayo, every quarterback currently on the roster will have time on the field during Sunday's game. Brissett will get first dibs, followed by Maye, Bailey Zappe, and Joe Milton III.
How long each will play and who they will be playing with won't be known until the game begins, but this might finally be when Maye has the chance to work with some of the starting offense rather than the second team.
That would be the best way to really see if the rookie is ready to go for Week 1, but Mayo didn't share how he plans to split the reps when speaking with reporters last week.
UPDATE as of 7:30pm EST:
Jerod Mayo on the @985TheSportsHub pregame interview: QB Jacoby Brissett will start and play a series or two. Drake Maye will than play until the half
— Sophie Weller (@sophieewellerr) August 25, 2024
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