It’s an exciting time for Drake Maye and company.
After he backed up Jacoby Brissett for the first five games of the season, the New England Patriots decided to go with the rookie as their starting quarterback Sunday.
New England selected Maye out of North Carolina with the third overall pick of the draft after fielding several offers from teams to move up.
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New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) passes against the Washington Commanders during the first half of a preseason game Aug. 25, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
The decision came earlier this week, and Maye’s girlfriend couldn’t contain her excitement.
Ann Michael Hudson posted on her Instagram story about Maye getting the nod.
“YAY!!!!! So excited,” she wrote with smile and heart emoji, via the New York Post.
“We’re trying to win every game. At the time, we thought that Jacoby would give us the best opportunity to go out there and win games,” Pats coach Jerod Mayo said Wednesday, a day after the decision was first reported. “Drake gives us the best chance to win now and going forward. He’s been developing. He’s been getting better every single week.”
“It’s something you dream of, getting your first start in the NFL,” said Maye. “It’s an opportunity, against a good football team, to go out there and prove people wrong.”
Quarterback Drake Maye of the North Carolina Tar Heels poses for portraits after being selected third overall in the first round by the New England Patriots during the 2024 NFL Draft April 25, 2024, in Detroit. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
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Brissett was named the starter in training camp, and given the difficulty of the Pats’ schedule, it made sense to develop Maye.
New England upset the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 on the road, but the Pats have since lost four in a row.
Brissett has completed just 58.5% of his passes for two touchdowns, and the Pats are widely regarded as possibly the worst team in the NFL, along with the Carolina Panthers.
In his two seasons at North Carolina, Maye threw for 7,929 yards with a 64.9% completion rate. He threw for 62 touchdowns and 16 interceptions while running for 16 more scores. He was All-ACC first-team in 2022 and second-team last season. He passed for 3,608 yards and 24 touchdowns last season.
Drake Maye of the New England Patriots throws during practice May 29, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
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Maye made his NFL debut in New England’s 24-3 loss to the Jets in New Jersey, completing four of his eight passes after Brissett was benched.
The Pats face the Houston Texans Sunday at home. The Texans’ Nico Collins is out with a hamstring injury.
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