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Mac Jones fallout is reportedly affecting Patriots’ approach with Drake Maye
"This is what happens when you destroy a first-round quarterback in the recent rearview mirror."
Drake Maye only played one series during his NFL preseason debut against his hometown Carolina Panthers last week.
The Patriots have taken a cautious approach to the rookie quarterback’s development during this preseason. Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said concerns about the offensive line had something to do with how little Maye played last week.
But there’s another factor playing into the Patriots’ timidness with the 2024 No. 3 overall pick, according to NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran.
The Patriots are hesitant in part because of the way things ended with Mac Jones, and their fears have spilled over into the way they’re handling Maye, Curran said during a recent appearance on NBC Sports Boston.
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New England took Jones No. 15 overall in 2021. He had a successful rookie season before a pair of disastrous ones led to him being traded to Jacksonville for a sixth round pick in the offseason.
“Do I believe that they are doing the right thing on erring on the side of caution? No,” Curran said. “You can game it up, you can hand it off, you can run draws, you can run screens. You can keep everybody in to block. You one million percent can keep him out there for all the snaps Bailey Zappe took, for many of the ones Joe Milton took. Neither of those guys got blown up.”
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“So to me, it’s too cautious by half but this is what happens when you destroy a first-round quarterback in the recent rearview mirror,” Curran added. “The wreckage is still smoldering.”
The Patriots are “one million pecent” scarred by the way Jones’s career unfolded, Curran said.
“The owner, Mayo, everybody who is in the realm of decision-making, Eliot Wolf, saw what happened as a front office person with Mac Jones and said ‘let’s not make this mistake again’,” said Curran.
Mayo said earlier this week that Maye will play more during the Patriots’ second preseason game against the Eagles on Thursday. Maye said he’s not sure how much he will play.
“I’m excited to get out there,” Maye told reporters Tuesday. “I’m excited to get out there with those guys, try to make some plays. I’m going to suit up. I don’t know how much I’m going to play but I’m going to go out there and play until they take me out.”
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