Drake Maye spoke for the first time after being named Patriots starting quarterback, and he had nothing but love for a person he called the “ideal teammate.”
Jerod Mayo confirmed Maye would take over for Jacoby Brissett as the starter. The New England head coach believed the rookie could help jump-start the offense after his side started the season 1-4.
Maye praised Brissett on Wednesday for helping him develop throughout the season and being a role model for playing in the NFL. That assistance was why the 2024 third-overall pick was empathetic toward what Brissett probably felt after being told he was benched.
“Jacoby, he’s the ideal teammate. Ideal guy to be in the room with as a quarterback,” Maye told reporters, per a team-provided video. “I think the biggest thing is you hate it for him. I think Jacoby fought his butt off, got up every time he’s getting hit. Not only that he just kept that mindset of ‘let’s get to the next play. We got this drive coming.’ Seeing him on the sideline and just the positive vibes he kind of brought to this team and still will bring to this team. He’s a great mentor, a great friend, and I’ll just try to do everything I can to help him and I’m sure he’ll do the same.”
Patriots captain Deatrich Wise Jr. supported the decision to start Maye and also highlighted how the rookie made waves at practice. Wise also believes Brissett will continue to mentor Maye, who will prepare for a tough test against the Houston Texans this Sunday. But the 22-year-old was excited to prove people wrong when he stepped foot at Gillette Stadium.
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Featured image via Paul Rutherford/Imagn Images
