New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne was impressed with the debut of rookie quarterback Drake Maye. He praised Maye after Sunday’s loss to the Houston Texans.
The veteran wide receiver only recorded two catches for nine yards with Maye still looking to get his feet under him. Bourne is also trying to work his way back to form after suffering a season-ending ACL injury last year.
The hope is that a strong chemistry will eventually form between Maye and Bourne through repetitions.
“What I really loved was even after getting hit, he didn’t seem rattled,” Bourne said, via NESN.com’s Sean T. McGuire. “It was almost like woke him up. He was already awake, but like, it’s just like anybody when you’re kind of nervous, when you first get out there then when you get that first hit, make first contact with somebody, the butterflies go away.
“I think he responded good. We got to protect him better, for sure. But that’s what I thought was most impressive.”
Maye did have some bumps in the road in his first NFL start.
However, there were many things to be excited about, including his ability to push the ball downfield and make plays with his legs. It’s clear that Bourne and others can see that potential, too.