When Does Alex Van Pelt See Patriots’ Drake Maye Becoming Starter?

FOXBORO, Mass. — Alex Van Pelt has been impressed by the early showing of New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye. But that doesn’t mean Van Pelt or anyone else in the organization is ready to abandon their plan.

The Patriots offensive coordinator stressed the team views Maye’s development as similar to a marathon. Van Pelt’s comments were in line with what Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and first-year head coach Jerod Mayo previously shared.

So, when Van Pelt was asked if there was any timetable for Maye to take over behind center, the veteran coordinator provided an unsurprising response.

“I think you have to take that as it comes, really,” Van Pelt said Tuesday before the Patriots held their eighth day of organized team activities (OTAs).

“When those decisions are made they’ll be made together as a group with Eliot (Wolf) and coach Mayo. When that time comes, we’ll see. But there is no timetable. Jacoby (Brissett), again, is our starter and he’s playing excellent football for us this spring. And Drake is coming on.”

Maye was elevated to backup quarterback at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday behind only Brissett. It marked a notable change as Maye worked as the third-string behind Brissett and Bailey Zappe in the two previous open-to-media sessions.

But it likely will take a bit longer for Maye to catch Brissett, who’s looked like the most polished signal-caller, than it did to catch the incumbent Zappe.