Is Drake Maye Sitting for the Entire Season Ideal for the Patriots?

Drake Maye was selected with the third overall pick in this most recent NFL draft. The Patriots drafted Maye knowing that he would be a project quarterback who had all the physical abilities to be an NFL quarterback. They also knew it would take time for him to develop before he would be ready to start for the franchise. The Patriots have hinted at him being on the bench to open the season and possibly staying there for at least one year. So why is Drake Maye sitting for an extended period of time a good idea for both Drake Maye and the Patriots if they spent such a high draft pick to go get him?

For starters, the Patriots simply aren’t good enough to contend for anything this upcoming season. Historically, when first-round quarterbacks have been forced to go out and start week one with a lackluster roster around them, the quarterback tends not to work out. We’ve seen this with Sam Darnold, Zach Wilson, Josh Rosen, and many other first-round quarterbacks. However, when rookie quarterbacks are able to get comfortable with the offense and come in when they are ready, they tend to do significantly better. Some of those who sat for a few weeks or even a full season include quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes.

Now, I’m not saying that Drake Maye will become like one of those elite quarterbacks I listed above just because he sits and develops for a season, but it does give him the best chance to succeed. With the Patriots very unlikely to get even above six wins this season, they will be in a good position to continue adding talented players next offseason in free agency and the draft. The combination of giving Drake Maye time to develop and the Patriots acquiring better players next offseason gives the Patriots a good chance of contending in the future. If they rush Drake Maye into the NFL, the Patriots could ruin his confidence and potentially make him a draft bust.