Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye made his preseason debut Thursday night against the Panthers.
It was a short one.
Maye, the third overall pick in the 2024 draft, handled a drive for the Patriots in his first game at Gillette Stadium. It covered eight plays and produced 21 yards of offense, ending with a possession at the Carolina 45. Maye completed two of three passes for 19 yards.
After the game, coach Jerrod Mayo said limited work was expected for Mayo.
“That was always the plan,” Mayo said in quotes distributed by the team. The goal was to have him play with the first-string offensive line.
“We have to protect [the] Boy,” Mayo said. “Not saying we don’t have to protect the other guys, but they’re definitely going to.”
So, basically, expect Maye to play only the first-string offense in the preseason. The question then arises between May and starter (for now) Jacoby Brissett.
Despite not getting much work, Maye was excited about the experience.
“I think it was awesome,” May said (via a transcript provided by the team), ““First, going out in the stadium. Actually the first time I was drafted was the day after I was in the stadium, with the fans, and I felt some chills in my body, finally getting a chance to come together and compete together.
Even if it is only one vote.
There will be more, and Patriots fans will surely be more and more excited to see what the highest drafted quarterback can do for a team that has grown accustomed to playing high-profile quarterbacks in the Kraft era.
