Is Drake Maye playing today? Update on rookie QBs status for Patriots in Week 4

The expectation regarding the Patriots quarterback situation for the 2024 season was that Jacoby Brissett would remain the starter for most of the year, and eventually, Drake Maye would get some real game-playing experience, likely when the team was already eliminated from playoff contention.

Although Jerod Mayo and the coaching staff have gone back and forth on their plans for the rookie and how much playing time he would realistically get this year, the decision to pull Brissett late in the fourth quarter of last week's game against the Jets seemed like a strong indication that Maye might be getting the call up sooner rather than later.

He was only in for the Patriots' final drive of the game, which had under five minutes remaining, but he was able to bring a slight boost to the offense's performance, which had been lackluster and disappointing for the previous 55 minutes. Since then, the coaching staff has raved about how great he has looked at practice, leading many to believe the Drake Maye era is visible on the horizon far more now than it was just two weeks ago.

Because of that, there are questions about his availability for the Patriots' matchup with the 49ers on Sunday, a game in which most analysts and fans don't believe they have a chance to win, even with several key members of the Niners' roster either out or dealing with injuries.

Regardless, based on Mayo's decision to put Maye in last week has prompted many to wonder if he will see more playing time this week.

While it's entirely possible, the head coach has given no indication that there is a plan in place for that to happen this week. In fact, most reporters believe if the Week 4 game does not go well for Brissett, we'll likely see Maye under center in their first matchup with the Dolphins in Week 5.

Given the struggles their divisional foe is currently dealing with, most notably the loss of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for the foreseeable future, and the fact that it's a game in Foxboro, it seems like the perfect place for Maye to be given the keys to the offense and see what he can do with what he's got.

That seems like the most realistic scenario for the rookie to overthrow Brissett, at least for that game, if not the rest of the season.

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