Drake Maye is ready when his time comes.
The Patriots rookie QB — the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft — is all but officially set to start the season as the backup to veteran Jacoby Brissett, though he’s impressed his coach plenty thus far.
“100%, I think he’s ready to run a huddle,” Patriots coach Jerod Mayo told reporters on Wednesday.
Maye put up 47 yards on 6-for-11 passing with 15 rushing yards in 24 snaps in a 14-13 loss to the Eagles last week, including a four-yard touchdown run.
Coupled with Brissett connecting on three of his seven pass attempts for just 17 yards over three series to open the game, there’s growing chatter that Maye, 21, could indeed get the ball in Week 1 against the Bengals in Cincinnati.
Still, it appears Brissett, in his second stint in New England, remains on track to open the season as the first option.
“You come into camp, and you want to have an idea of how it’s going. It’s still a competition, and Jacoby is still QB1,” Mayo said. “It’s a competition amongst all the guys on the field, including the quarterback spot.”
If Mayo, the first-time coach and eight-year NFL linebacker, has changed his mind — along with offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and VP of player personnel Eliot Wolf — he’s not tipping his hand just yet.
Not with another preseason game to go on Sunday against the Commanders.
“I think anyone can see the confidence growing in Drake,” Mayo said. “Anyone can see Jacoby go out here and, as a total body of work, do a good job. So, we’ll see how it goes.”
Don’t expect him to tip his hand once he has an answer, either.
“I would say by Monday night we should know who the quarterback is,” he said. “Sunday night game, it’s always hard to crank through the film. Especially on the road. But I think Monday-Tuesday we’ll probably know who it is. Now, that doesn’t mean I’ll tell you who it is.”