Drake Maye Needs To Find Healthy Balance In Aggressive Patriots Style

Drake Maye is a true athlete at quarterback for the New England Patriots.

His dynamic play-making stood out at North Carolina and already contributed to eye-popping plays in the NFL. He turned in another one for the Patriots when he scrambled around for 12 seconds before he found Rhamondre Stevenson for a game-tying touchdown pass at the end of regulation Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

More specifically, Maye’s ability to use his legs and make impact plays as a runner makes him even more dynamic. That’s a great weapon for the Patriots, as long as they keep him safe.

Maye took the field Sunday shortly after clearing concussion protocol from a Week 8 hit against the New York Jets. He played his way right into the action for Week 9, once again leading the Patriots in rushing with eight carries for 95 yards.

His legs add another layer to a needy Patriots offense that struggled to put talent around the rookie. Maye is a determined ball carrier, which is great. The issue is keeping him healthy. Maye was fresh off concussion protocol and left himself susceptible to a few significant hits, including on a first-down carry in the first quarter for the Patriots.

“They do imprint us quarterbacks now and you can’t blame them with what’s going on with some of the quarterback hits,” Maye told reporters, per team-provided transcript.

These concerns came to life for those watching Maye even before his first start. Head coach Jerod Mayo inserted the rookie in relief during a Week 3 loss to the New York Jets. Maye got pummeled on one play during his short outing, reminding the organization how careful it needs to be with the near-certain face of the franchise for the Patriots.

FOX analyst Mark Schlereth noted on the TV broadcast that Maye shared in production meetings the value of quarterbacks sliding to protect themselves, as he should specifically out of concussion protocol. The Patriots quarterback did on certain runs but can still do more to take care of himself as a rookie.

“Yeah, I tried to slide headfirst a little bit,” Maye added. “Sometimes I think that’s just as dangerous diving into people’s legs, but I’m not going to change the player that I am. I’m past the protocol and cleared and I’m going to be the player. … I’m going to play how I’m going to play.”

Maye still seeks his first full win as a starter in Week 10 when the Patriots visit Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears.