After several weeks of ineffective quarterback play from Jacoby Brissett, the New England Patriots named rookie Drake Maye their starting quarterback in Week 7.
Maye played solid football in his rookie season, finishing with 2,276 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Maye also showcased his speed, running for 421 yards and two scores, proving to be the same effective quarterback who led the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Maye wasn’t the only rookie on New England, as he played under first-year head coach Jerod Mayo, a former Patriots player. In 2025, though, Maye will play under a new head coach.
Not long after New England’s 23-16 victory on Sunday, January 5 over the Buffalo Bills to close out their season, Mayo’s lone season as head coach came to an end.
Despite the Patriots ending their year by beating one of the AFC’s best teams, they finished their 2024-2025 campaign at just 4-13. New England also finished 4-13 last season, their third-straight year missing the playoffs after 11 appearances in 13 seasons.
Mayo’s initial hiring came with plenty of praise in Foxborough and around the NFL, as he spent his entire playing and previous coaching career, as a Patriot. New England saw Mayo as a fresh, young mind who could inject a needed energy into a program which once ruled professional football.
Instead, Maye will be playing for his second coach in two seasons. Given that Maye is the Patriots’ franchise quarterback, New England needs to hire someone who has a proven track record working with QBs.
I can’t imagine Maye will have a say in his next head coach, given he’s just a rookie, but Kraft would be smart to consult him before beginning his coaching search.
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