Jerod Mayo reveals key part of Patriots' Drake Maye development plan

Jacoby Brissett is the New England Patriots’ starting quarterback, but the team is still looking for a way to give rookie Drake Maye valuable practice reps.

Phil Perry, a Boston Patriots insider on NBC Sports, reported before Week 1 that Maye was getting more reps with the starters in practice than most backup quarterbacks typically get. It’s all part of the Patriots’ development plan for the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo confirmed that Friday morning when asked how the team is balancing preparing Brissett to play as a starter while developing Maye, and whether he’s looking at a 70-30 split in reps during practice.

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“That’s absolutely correct. It’s no secret. We have a quarterback in the wings that needs to continue to develop,” Maye told reporters at his press conference. “Normally, I would say the starter gets, say, 95 percent of the reps and the backup doesn’t. With this, it’s a little bit different. We had a conversation, how do we — I guess the issue is how do we get our starting quarterback ready for the game and also continue to develop the guy in the back end, which is Drake.”

“So it’s like a 70-30 split. You’re absolutely right. We’re very thoughtful. When we talk about how we have a development plan for Drake, that’s part of it. I try not to get too specific about what that plan actually looks like, but he (Maye) is still getting reps with the starters. He’s also doing a good job on the (scout) team. He’s doing a good job, and you can see his confidence continuing to grow.”

It’s not a bad plan. Maye needs as many reps as possible, and if he can’t get them in games, he’s better off getting them in practice with the starters. This team needs Maye to be as ready as possible before he steps on the field for the first time in a real game. That’s not going to happen if he only gets a handful of meaningful reps in practice each week.

Mayo also praised Brissett for understanding the Patriots’ scheme and being a true professional about it. A starter going from 95 percent of reps in practice to 70 percent may not sound like much, but it’s certainly not typical.

“Yeah, from day one, I’ve always said he’s a true professional,” Mayo said of Brissett. “I’ve always said he’s a great mentor, not just to Drake, but to the other quarterback in the room, (Joe) Milton. He gets it. Listen, he’s a professional. He’s won games in this league. He gets it that we drafted Drake with the third overall pick, and looking out the windshield, at some point — I don’t know when that point is — he’s going to have to get on the field and play.

“Just seeing the relationship in the quarterback room has been special to me. It’s very tough. When you talk about leaving your ego at the door, I would say Jacoby is one of those guys that doesn’t have an ego. He wants to do what’s best for the team, not himself. Whether he’s throwing for 150 yards or 350 yards, he’s very consistent and a true professional.”

It remains to be seen when/if Maye will see the field this season, but the Patriots, to their credit, appear to be doing a good job of giving him a chance to be as ready as possible when the time comes.

In the meantime, Brissett will try to lead the Patriots to their first 2-0 start since 2019 when they host the Seattle Seahawks in Sunday’s Week 2 game at Gillette Stadium.