The New England Patriots are ready to let the Drake Maye era officially begin.
Maye will start for the Patriots on Sunday against the Houston Texans, according to multiple reports. Veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett is being benched after starting the first five games of the season.
The Patriots have emphasized giving Maye time to develop, but they apparently feel the rookie is ready. While they would have preferred to keep him on the bench longer, the offense has looked terrible with Brissett under center.
Brissett went 18-of-34 for 160 yards in New England’s 15-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 5. The veteran now has just 696 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception through five games. The Patriots are 1-4 and in last place in the AFC East.
Jerod Mayo had expressed full confidence in Brissett throughout the summer and first part of the season, but the Patriots coach’s tone seemed to change significantly this week. That was a good indication that a quarterback switch might be coming.
Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, has received more reps in practice than a typical backup quarterback. A recent report claimed the plan for the Patriots was to start Maye at some point this season, but their offensive struggles likely accelerated the timeline.
The big question is whether the Patriots will look better with Maye than they did with Brissett. Their offensive line is still suspect, and they have one of the worst collections of skill players in the NFL. Patriots fans should probably temper their expectations, but they will at least have something worth watching now.
