Should I Start Drake Maye?

Tuesday, August 11, 7:10 AM

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is not expected to play in the team's preseason opener on Thursday against the Indianapolis Colts, according to Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald. "I wouldn't anticipate seeing Drake out there Thursday," head coach Mike Vrabel said. Not even the experts most bullish on Maye would have predicted him to finish second in the MVP voting while leading the Patriots to the Super Bowl in 2025 in his first full season as the starter under center. The 23-year-old former third overall pick from North Carolina excelled with the deep ball and had a league-best 72% completion percentage while throwing for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns, and only eight interceptions in 17 regular-season starts. The Patriots' soft schedule definitely helped Maye's cause, as he came back down to Earth in the playoffs and struggled mightily in the Super Bowl loss against an elite defense. But with receivers A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs now in the fold in 2026, the impressive young QB has now jumped into RotoBaller's top-five rankings at the position.