New Detail Emerges About Patriots’ Reported QB Switch To Drake Maye

It seemed like the New England Patriots were going to go with Jacoby Brissett until the wheels fell off.

But after another lackluster offensive showing against the Miami Dolphins, the Patriots reportedly made a quarterback switch Tuesday and will give Drake Maye his first career NFL start Sunday against the Houston Texans.

The decision is a horrendous move to some, especially given New England’s Week 6 opponent and the deplorable state of the team’s offense. But according to the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed, benching Brissett in favor of Maye just over a quarter into the season wasn’t solely prompted by the veteran quarterback’s ineffectiveness against the Dolphins, in which he completed just 18-of-34 passes for 160 yards as the Patriots slipped to 1-4.

“The change at QB from Jacoby Brissett to Drake Maye is not a knee-jerk reaction to the Patriots’ loss to the Dolphins, per a source,” Kyed posted on the X platform. “This has been in the works.”

Brissett really didn’t show much in his five games under center. He ranked among the worst starting quarterbacks in the league as he completed just 58.5% of his passes and threw for only 696 yards with just two touchdowns and one interception. He was also sacked 17 times.

The Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan reported that the Patriots let Brissett and Maye know about the decision prior to the news being leaked.

Maye should give the Patriots more dynamic play from the quarterback spot, but with a porous offensive line and a meager wide receiver group, New England is risking stunting the 22-year-old’s development.

But the Patriots could get a boost by rallying around Maye, something they clearly weren’t getting with Brissett due to his prolonged struggles.

“The belief in Maye is extremely strong among team leadership, enough they seem to think he can overcome a bad O-line and inevitable growing pains the rest of the season,” Callahan wrote on the X platform.