FOXBORO — Patriots coach Jerod Mayo confirmed reports that starting center David Andrews would require season-ending shoulder surgery, but said Andrews’ absence wouldn’t affect the team’s plans for first-round rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
“I would say those are independent of each other,” Mayo said Wednesday. “You always want to have a veteran center in there, but with that said, they don’t tie in together.”
In the Patriots’ new offense, the center is tasked with calling protections and making adjustments. Andrews is not only the Patriots’ oldest and most experienced offensive player, but one of their most critical; particularly as his fellow offensive linemen struggle in pass protection with an overall allowed pressure rate of 49%. Without Andrews, the team is expected to turn to backup guard/center Nick Leverett who replaced him in last weekend’s loss at San Francisco.
As for Maye, Mayo has repeatedly insisted the coaching staff is following a long-held plan that will eventually lead to him playing sometime this season. Mayo has strongly backed Jacoby Brissett as the team’s starter in recent days, despite Brissett’s poor performance against the 49ers and previous comments the head coach made following the Pats’ 24-3 loss to the Jets that hinted he would be open to a change. Maye took the only NFL snaps of his career to date in that game, and went 4-of-8 for 22 yards and two sacks in mop-up duty.
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