Ninkovich: ‘The future is bright’ for Pats with Maye at QB originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Drake Maye has raised the spirits in and around Foxboro with his performance over his first five NFL starts.
The rookie quarterback has showcased his high upside with his strong arm and impressive mobility. He has completed 97 of his 150 passes for 954 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions. He also has rushed for 233 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries.
It’s a small sample size, but Maye appears to have all the traits of a QB who can lead New England back to relevance. And while there’s plenty of room for improvement, the third-overall pick is turning heads even when he isn’t making highlight-reel plays.
That’s the quality that has stood out most to ex-Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich, who heaped praise on Maye on the latest episode of the Next Pats Podcast with Phil Perry.
🔊 Next Pats Podcast: Rob Ninkovich: “The future in New England is bright” with Drake Maye at QB | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
“I think the one play that impressed me the most wasn’t even a complete pass,” Ninkovich said. “It was the one where he got out of the pocket, there was pressure inside, he avoided the sack, he got out of the pocket, he was rolling right. That was the one he was literally out of bounds and he threw the ball and it was caught, but I think it was where the receiver stepped out and came back in. It would have been a touchdown if he never went back out.
“But that play in particular, it’s impressive because there’s not a lot of quarterbacks that number one have the ability to move around like he does, but number two, his accuracy is very impressive. So to be running out of bounds and at the last second just say ‘let me take a shot at this’ and put the ball in a spot where only one guy can get it, his own player, I think is pretty exciting and telling that the future in New England is bright with him as the quarterback.”
Also in the episode:
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Perry unloads the notebook and shares five of his favorite notes about the Patriots from the last week
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Does it say anything special that Drake Maye initiated a steak dinner with Jacoby Brissett and the O-Line after the win over the Bears?
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What do you make of the job Alex Van Pelt has done this year?
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Ninkovich defends Jerod Mayo calling the team ‘soft’, and the overall job he’s done as head coach this year
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What have you seen from the defense in recent weeks?
