What other rookie QBs tell us about Maye’s inevitable path with Pats originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
There’s a partisan divide in this country, and it’s over how we develop rookie quarterbacks. Both sides are entrenched.
There’s the “play ’em right away” true believers. They cite Peyton Manning, Troy Aikman, and John Elway as future Hall of Famers who took a beating as rookies and used that experience to become champions and all-time greats.
Then there’s the “let ’em sit” caucus, which insists that Joe Montana, Aaron Rodgers, and a fella by the name of Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. benefited from spending at least a year on the sidelines. By the time those guys got their shot, they knew what to do with it.
With six quarterbacks taken in the top 12 of the 2024 NFL Draft, we’re presented with a dramatic opportunity to test the various theories of development. It will probably be two or three years before we can officially declare which approach paid dividends, but it’s not too soon to render snap judgments.
And here’s the primary takeaway: The Patriots are doing right by Drake Maye for now, but we’ll see how long they can hold out as the losses accumulate and the clamor to unveil the future grows.
Three teams are playing the rookies right away: the Bears (No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams), Commanders (Jayden Daniels, 2nd), and Broncos (Bo Nix, 12th). Meanwhile, the Patriots (Maye, 3rd), Falcons (Michael Penix, 8th), and Vikings (JJ McCarthy, 10th) are starting veterans, although Minnesota didn’t have any say in the matter once McCarthy blew out his knee in training camp.
The early returns are discouraging.
No member of the 2024 draft class had thrown a touchdown until Sunday, when Williams connected for two in a loss to the Colts, but they have combined for eight interceptions. None has a winning record, either, though Daniels could advance to 2-1 on Monday night at Cincinnati. (Daniels and Nix have each rushed for two scores, for whatever that’s worth.)
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Meanwhile, Maye debuted on Thursday against the Jets, piloting an unremarkable garbage time drive that saw him sacked twice and nearly throw an interception on his first pass. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said he reverted to some bad footwork, and Maye did nothing to suggest he’s ready to replace starter Jacoby Brissett.
That day is coming, however, and probably sooner than later. For one, Brissett has been under assault while absorbing nine sacks, and a quarterback can only take so much punishment. The veteran has already grimaced and lingered on the turf after multiple hits, and if he’s injured, Maye is the next man up.
Also, most teams that let their QBs marinate do so out of luxury, not dogma. Rodgers backed up Hall of Famer Brett Favre, and himself blocked Jordan Love in Green Bay. Brady arrived as an unheralded sixth-rounder behind franchise QB Drew Bledsoe. Patrick Mahomes didn’t play for a year in Kansas City because the Chiefs boasted Pro Bowler Alex Smith.
By contrast, the Patriots aren’t in a position to wait around to discover if Maye is a franchise QB. The offense under Brissett is pedestrian, the damage to the brand of being cruddy and uninspiring for a third straight year is growing, and the pressure from ownership and fans will only mount to hand Maye the reins, ready or not.
As is usually the case in these partisan battles, there’s ammo on both sides.
Play Maye now, and he might be Bryce Young, last year’s No. 1 overall pick who has already been benched by the Panthers. But give up on him too soon, and he could end up being Alex Smith or Geno Smith, two former busts who eventually became Pro Bowlers elsewhere. Even Sam Darnold, one-time seer of ghosts on the Jets sideline, is now tearing it up with Minnesota in relief of McCarthy, leading the Vikings to a 3-0 start with eight touchdowns and only two interceptions.
The key to the success of young QBs might rest less on their innate ability and more on the talent and quality of organization surrounding them. The Patriots are admittedly deficient in the first area, but no one would confuse the Krafts with bumbling Panthers owner David Tepper, so at least there’s that.
It’s likely the returns on Maye would be dismaying if he were asked to play behind one of the league’s most porous offensive lines. Brissett has consistently made a little something out of nothing because he’s a wily veteran, and it’s hard to envision Maye similarly dancing out of trouble with half a ton of hostility laying siege to the pocket.
So good on the Patriots for sitting him and giving him first-team practice reps in the early going. Look around the league, and his fellow draftees aren’t making much of a mark. But don’t congratulate the Pats for their patience just yet. When you’re a bad team with a potential franchise savior on the sidelines, the pressure to see what he can do will test your principles.
