Alex Van Pelt took the side-step approach when he recently was asked about a damning report about Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.
Jerod Mayo, meanwhile, decided to tackle the topic head-on.
Fresh off New England’s encouraging win in Chicago, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported Patriots ownership looked outside the organization for advice on how to develop Maye. The report depicted a lack of trust in Van Pelt, who claims he doesn’t follow the rumor fill but feels confident in his ability to prepare the 22-year-old.
Mayo was asked about the report Monday, one day after Maye was yet again impressive in New England’s home loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
“All those reports are false,” Mayo said on WEEI, as transcribed by the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. “They’re all false. None of those reports are true.”
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Unfortunately for Mayo and company, Breer’s report didn’t come off as reckless. The Patriots have been troubled by questionable coaching decisions all season and that trend surfaced again in New England’s Week 11 defeat.
There’s a ton of uncertainty about the future in Foxboro, Mass., but Maye’s position as the franchise quarterback appears to be one of the few things set in stone. Thus, it would be tough to blame the Krafts for leaving no stone unturned as they try to turn the 2024 first-rounder into one of the NFL’s best signal-callers.
Featured image via Brian Fluharty/Imagn Images
