Patriots coach Jerod Mayo explains what makes Drake Maye unique as a rookie

Jerod Mayo has a great appreciation for Drake Maye’s rookie season

New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo is impressed with rookie quarterback Drake Maye’s competitiveness as he navigates life in the NFL.

Maye has provided a spark to the Patriots’ quarterback position and the offense as a whole. He has shown the ability to hurt opposing defenses as a passer and runner with the ball in his hands.

The 22-year-old quarterback has recorded 770 passing yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions on the season. He has also rushed for 209 yards and a touchdown.

“He’s gonna do whatever it takes to help the team win,” Mayo said in a recent appearance on “Patriots All Access.” “…He’s putting it all on the line. And I appreciate his competitiveness, I appreciate his heart, and I appreciate really just his overall steadiness. Especially as a rookie, you don’t really see that.”

The returns for Maye, who was the No. 3 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft, have been positive to this point. If anything, he has given Patriots fans hope that the team has finally found their franchise quarterback in the post-Tom Brady era.

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Jerod Mayo’s blunt response to playing it safe with Drake Maye

The Patriots aren’t looking to create designed runs for Drake Maye at this time

Don’t expect designed runs for New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye anytime soon.

At a media conference on Friday, coach Jerod Mayo was asked about scheming up run-specific plays for the 22-year-old signal-caller, and he quickly batted down the idea, while leaving the door open for the possibility of such calls in the future.

“He was in the concussion protocol not too long ago, and I’m not looking forward to designing quarterback runs for him at this present time,” Maye told media members. “But who knows? He’s a rookie and he’ll continue to evolve as a player as well.”

Maye led the team in rushing last week against the Tennessee Titans with eight rushes for 95 yards.

However, he was fortunate to even be available to play in that game after suffering a concussion the previous week against the New York Jets. He was hit in the back of the helmet by Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood while attempting to slide after a scramble.

There has been concerns about Maye taking too many big hits in games, but he’s also quickly proving to be the Patriots’ most effective offensive weapon on the field.

It’s a tough balancing act for Mayo and the coaching staff to traverse this season.

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Jerod Mayo offers explanation for benching Patriots rookie OL

Jerod Mayo shares reason for benching rookie G Layden Robinson

New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo explained his decision to bench rookie Layden Robinson and move tackle Mike Onwenu back to right guard against the Tennessee Titans.

Robinson originally started the game, which put him in a head-to-head matchup with Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who recorded five tackles and a sack on the afternoon.

“Well, Mike ended up kicking in to guard. We felt like we needed to match up with one of their best players,” said Mayo, via the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed.” Again, when you watch the film, you’re going to see the interior of the pocket at times was soft. And I thought putting our best player in there was the best thing to do for the team.”

The Patriots’ in-game coaching decisions have been perplexing at times this season. It’ll be worth monitoring to see how they approach the offensive line situation against a tough Chicago Bears defense in Week 10.

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Jerod Mayo shares honest opinion of Patriots’ quiet trade deadline

Jerod Mayo comments on the Patriots’ quiet trade deadline

New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo wasn’t exactly sure why the Patriots didn’t get any deals done ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline.

However, he’s also taking more of a long-term view of the situation in New England. They are a rebuilding team looking to get better in the future. That fact isn’t lost on the first-year NFL head coach.

“I’m not sure. For us, it’s about value. It’s about thinking about the present and also trying to get better in the future,” Mayo said in a team-provided video, when speaking with media members on Wednesday.

There were talks of the Patriots potentially being sellers ahead of the deadline with players like K.J. Osborn, Kendrick Bourne and Tyquan Thornton being mentioned as potential trade targets.

Fans were hoping to see the team be buyers to help fill some of the many holes on the current roster. There’s still a pool of talent to pick from in free agency, but fans might have to wait for the 2025 offseason to experience the major changes they are hoping to see.

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Patriots coach Jerod Mayo strongly downplays trade deadline hype

Jerod Mayo called the trade deadline “a bunch of hype”

New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo is remaining even-keeled ahead of the trade deadline on Tuesday.

The Patriots are coming off a tough 20-17 overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. They have been involved in several pre-trade deadline rumors, as names like Kyle Dugger, Tyquan Thornton and K. J. Osborn have all been linked to trade speculation.

If the season ended today, the Patriots would own the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NFL draft, per Tankathon.com. So that could influence their decisions, if any are made ahead of the deadline.

With that said, Mayo isn’t putting too much stock in the trade deadline, as he noted during a radio appearance on “The Greg Hill Show” on Monday morning.

“This isn’t baseball. In baseball, you have big-name players going to other teams,” said Mayo. “I would say historically, even as a player and now as a coach, the trade deadline is a bunch of hype. Who’s gonna move a starting quarterback to another team right now? Who’s gonna move a starting left tackle? I mean, it rarely happens.”

The organization needs to build around quarterback Drake Maye, as they look towards the future.

They need depth at multiple positions on the roster. Making a move on Tuesday would not necessarily be a bad thing with the UNC product showing franchise quarterback capabilities.

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Jerod Mayo provides major update on Patriots star DT Christian Barmore

Major reinforcements could be on the way for the Patriots’ defense

Some major reinforcements could be on the way for the New England Patriots.

When speaking with media members on Monday, Patriots coach Jerod Mayo was asked about the potential return of Christian Barmore. The star defensive tackle was sidelined before the season even started after being diagnosed with blood clots.

He has been out indefinitely with no clear timeline for his eventual return. There was always hope that he could potentially return at some point this season once he was 100 percent healthy. According to Mayo, the time for Barmore to make his long-awaited return is drawing closer.

“We’re getting close,” Mayo said.

The Patriots could certainly use the help along the defensive front after the unit gave up 167 rushing yards in their 20-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

Their run defense has completely imploded without Barmore and linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley. Barmore’s potential return would be a huge lift to one of the team’s biggest weaknesses.

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Patriots rookie WR showing strides in practice after being benched

Jerod Mayo claims rookie WR Javon Baker has made strides behind the scenes

New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo had high praise for rookie Javon Baker, as the Patriots continue to look for depth at the wide receiver position.

Baker has not seen the field much this season. He received six snaps in the Patriots’ overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks, but he has not been on the field beyond that at receiver. Last week, he was in for five snaps on special teams against the New York Jets.

He has clearly impressed the coaching staff over the last couple of weeks, and he could have a shot to play on Sunday against a Titans defense that has been stingy against the pass this season. They allow the fewest passing yards in the NFL with 151.6 yards per game.

Mayo believes Baker’s shot could come on Sunday.

“He’s put together great weeks of practice, and now, hopefully, he gets an opportunity to go out there and play some receiver,” said Mayo. “He’s an explosive player, and we need to see that on Sunday.”

Baker has big-play ability and speed that allows him to make things happen after the catch. The Patriots have undergone a youth movement at the wide receiver position, and the rookie has the chance to be a building block for not only this season but the future as a whole.

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Jerod Mayo discusses why Patriots pursued Calvin Ridley in free agency

Jerod Mayo spoke about what stands out most with Titans WR Calvin Ridley

New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo opened up about why the team pursued Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley in free agency.

Ridley and the Patriots were often connected via rumors, but the star receiver ultimately signed a four-year deal with the Titans. He has helped strengthen the Titans’ struggling receiving group. So far this season, he has tallied 22 catches for 326 yards and a touchdown.

He put on an incredible performance in a losing effort to the Detroit Lions last week with 10 catches for 143 yards.

The wideout isn’t putting up elite numbers with the Titans, but Mayo believes he’s doing his job on offense.

“He’s open a lot on film, sometimes doesn’t get the ball,” said Mayo.

One has to wonder how Ridley would have performed if he struck up a deal with the Patriots in the offseason. If anything, the veteran would have given rookie quarterback Drake Maye a consistent wideout to throw to.

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Jerod Mayo reveals Patriots’ backup plan if Drake Maye is out

Jerod Mayo revealed the plan at quarterback if Drake Maye is out

New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo revealed that Joe Milton III will serve as the backup quarterback if Drake Maye can’t play in Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans.

Jacoby Brissett would be the starter.

Maye left Sunday’s game near the end of the first half with a concussion. Brissett came in off the bench and helped lead the Patriots to a comeback victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It’s worth noting that Milton wore a black practice jersey on Wednesday, per CLNS Media’s Mike Kadlick This means he earned Practice Player of the Week honors.

This could serve as a major subplot for the game if Maye is out on Sunday. If anything, Milton wearing the black jersey signals progress in his overall development.

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Jerod Mayo pleased with Patriots’ response to his well-scrutinized challenge

New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo appreciated the way his team responded in win over the Jets

New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo appreciated the way his team answered his challenge by defeating the New York Jets.

Mayo minced no words when discussing his team’s performance in their loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 7. He called the team soft across the board, before backtracking on his comments shortly after. Nevertheless, his comments were a talking point throughout the week, leading up to Sunday’s game against the Jets.

“We played soft the last two games and that’s what I meant,” said Mayo, via A to Z Sports’ Sophie Weller. “And I would say those guys answered the challenge. I don’t think we have soft guys in the locker room. That’s just the way we played the last two weeks.”

The Patriots can undoubtedly use Sunday’s win as a way to build momentum for the rest of the season. This may be a rebuilding year, but that victory can be viewed as a positive for the direction of the franchise moving forward.

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