Patriots will reportedly start rookie Drake Maye at QB in Week 6 vs. Texans

The New England Patriots are making a change at starting quarterback.

Drake Maye will make his first NFL start when the Patriots host the Houston Texans on Sunday, NFL Media reported. Jacoby Brissett had started the first five games of the season, but the Patriots went 1-4 as the veteran threw for just 696 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

The Patriots selected Maye with the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and allowed Maye to compete for the starting job during training camp and the preseason. Even though Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said that Maye had “outplayed” Brissett at the end of the preseason, the team opted to make the veteran Brissett their starting quarterback to open the regular season to give Maye time to adjust to the NFL.

Sunday won’t mark Maye’s NFL debut, though. He relieved Brissett for the Patriots’ final offensive drive in their 24-3 loss to the New York Jets in Week 3. Maye completed 4 of 8 passes for 22 yards and rushed for 12 more, leading the Patriots down to the Jets’ 7-yard line before letting the clock run out.

While the Patriots are hoping for a spark at quarterback, there were some concerns about whether they should start Maye considering the state of the team’s offensive line. Their offensive line has underperformed as they’ve dealt with injuries and poor play, allowing Brissett to be sacked 17 times in six games. Brissett had also been pressured on 50% of his dropbacks, a league-high, according to Next Gen Stats. Maye was sacked twice in the one drive he played against the Jets.

Now, the Patriots will see if Maye’s dual-threat ability will help negate the poor play of their offensive line. Maye threw for 8,018 yards, 63 touchdowns and 16 interceptions to go with 1,209 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns in two-plus seasons at North Carolina. He showcased some of that dual-threat ability in the preseason, completing 21 of 34 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown to go with 32 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown over three games.

Maye will also get the opportunity to add to what’s already been an impressive rookie quarterback draft class. Jayden Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick, has led the Washington Commanders to a 4-1 start. Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (No. 1 overall pick) and Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (No. 12 overall pick) have led their respective teams to 3-2 starts. Maye was one of the six quarterbacks selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, which tied the record for most quarterbacks picked in the first round of a draft in the modern era.

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