Struggling Patriots turn to first-round pick Drake Maye for first start

The New England Patriots are planning to give first-round draft pick Drake Maye his first pro start in the hopes of ending a four-game losing streak under veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett, NFL Network reported on Tuesday.

Maye has one previous appearance for New England, when he came in at the end of a Week 3 loss to the New York Jets, going 4 for 8 with 22 yards.

The Patriots have struggled to find a useful quarterback since Tom Brady left in 2020 after leading the franchise to six Super Bowl championships. They have tried veterans such as Cam Newton and draft picks such as Mac Jones but have appeared in only one playoff game, a loss since Brady’s departure.

Three years after selecting Jones 15th overall in the 2021 draft and putting him immediately into the starting lineup, only to give up on him in his third season, the Patriots went back to the draft and picked Maye No 3 overall.

But with the Patriots struggling in almost every area – including the offensive line – coach Jerod Mayo stuck with Brissett rather than put the rookie out of North Carolina into a hopeless and potentially dangerous situation. For four weeks, Mayo said he was sticking with Brissett. But his tone shifted on Monday when he said, “We have to look at every single unit and every single player and figure out how we use this roster to go out there and win games.”