Patriots’ Drake Maye slapped with harsh reality by Jerod Mayo

A new era is starting in New England. The New England Patriots have some new faces in key positions on the team. In particular, their quarterback-head coach duo is quite different. Rookie QB Drake Maye will be leading the team on the field, while rookie coach Jerod Mayo will be calling the shots from the sidelines. It’s going to be interesting to see how this team works out.

With rookie minicamp starting, Patriots fans are curious to see how Maye and the other rookies are holding up. Other rookie minicamps have been relatively positive. True to his Bill Belichick roots, though, Mayo was pretty tight-lipped about his rookie. In fact, Mayo was pretty realistic in his assessment of Maye, per ESPN.

“He has a lot to work on. A lot to work on,” Mayo said Saturday, repeating himself. “But I have no doubt that he will put the time in. He was here all night trying to get on the same page as everyone else.”

Woof. Rookies do have a lot to work on. That’s doubly true for quarterbacks, who have to adjust from college defenses to NFL-level defenses. There’s a reason why it was such common belief that rookies had to sit a year first before starting full-time. Still, for a coach to admit this out loud is a bit jarring. Patriots fans might get a tad bit worried about this statement.

Still, it’s just the rookie minicamp. Training camp is yet to officially start, so there’s plenty of time to work on Maye’s skills. He certainly has the arm talent, but can he keep up with the speed of the NFL? The Patriots are hoping the answer to that question is a resounding yes.

Drake Maye and the Patriots’ QB room