Patriots Pumping Drake Maye’s Tires Following NFL Debut

The Patriots have been extremely careful in developing Drake Maye, but we finally got to see the rookie take some snaps in last Thursday's loss to the New York Jets.

Maye entered the blowout loss in relief of Jacoby Brissett, and though he didn't light the world on fire, he did make a couple of plays that had people excited. The Patriots moved the ball a bit in his lone series, which was enough to prompt calls for his insertion into the starting lineup.

New England isn't going to start him any time soon, but it's clear folks at One Patriot Place are pleased with what they've seen thus far.

"I think he's continuing to grow," Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said Thursday, per Mark Daniels of MassLive. "I think the game experience from the other night will only help him moving forward. The plan is in place and we're starting to see him grow on the practice field as well."

"Drake has improved every day, every week," Patriots defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington added. "I think he's earning the trust and respect from his teammates."

Van Pelt and Covington are two people who have watched Maye more closely than perhaps anyone else over the last few months. The Patriots have admitted to utilizing a 70/30 split in first-team reps between Brissett and the 22-year-old, meaning the latter certainly has put plenty on film already.

The Patriots are steadfast in their belief that Maye needs to continue to sit, but strong comments from the two coordinators should have fans feeling excited about Maye's eventual rise to the starting job.