What Patriots Must Do Before Promoting Drake Maye To Starter

The Patriots currently are handling their quarterback situation exactly how they should be.

New England was one of six NFL teams to select a signal-caller in the first round of the 2024 draft. But unlike a few of those franchises, the Patriots didn't immediately hand over starting duties to their rookie QB.

Jerod Mayo on Tuesday confirmed what everyone already knew: The top spot on New England's quarterback depth chart going into training camp belongs to Jacoby Brissett. And as NESN.com's Keagan Stiefel explained on the latest episode of "Foxboro Rush," this decision made sense for a series of reasons.

For starters, the Patriots' 2024 offense isn't primed to be quarterback-dependent. Under new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, running back Rhamondre Stevenson and the offensive line figure to do most of the heavy lifting for the unit. This won't be a new experience for Brissett, because as Stiefel pointed out, the veteran QB and Van Pelt worked together previously with the Cleveland Browns.

But even if New England's offense was designed to have the quarterback as the star of the show, it still wouldn't make sense to immediately start Maye, even though the North Carolina product is more talented than Brissett. Why? As Stiefel explained, the Patriots still are very early in the process of establishing a new foundation in Foxboro, Mass. Such an overhaul is necessary when you part ways with your former starting quarterback and head coach in the same offseason.

So yes, Maye will have his opportunity to shine at Gillette Stadium at some point down the road. But the Patriots clearly are comfortable practicing patience when it comes to the 21-year-old, and their fans should be, too.

You can check out Stiefel's and co-host George Balekji's full breakdown of New England's quarterback situation by clicking the link here.