The Drake Maye era has arrived for the New England Patriots with the first-round pick elevated to the starting quarterback role, and the decision was greeted by a sweet message from his girlfriend.
Maye will take over from Jacoby Brissett under center for the Pats’ Week 6 game against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. Brissett lead the team to a season-opening victory against the Cincinnati Bengals, but a four-game losing streak has followed and, at 1-4, head coach Jerod Mayo has opted for a change in a bid to rescue the season.
Former North Carolina star Maye was selected with the third-overall pick in April, but he has had to bide his time for opportunities, getting only a brief cameo in the blowout loss to the New York Jets. The Pats have handled him cautiously amid concerns over a porous offensive line, which did a poor job of protecting a battered and bruised Brissett in the opening five weeks of the season.
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But his chance to impress has arrived and the news was welcomed by his girlfriend Ann Michael Hudson, who took to Instagram to declare her joy. “YAY!!!!! So excited,” her post read, accompanied by smile and heart emojis.
Maye, 22, admitted in a press conference on Wednesday that he will be nervous when he takes to the field in Foxborough, but he says he will do all he can to turn the Patriots’ fortunes around.
“It’s a great opportunity. It’s something you dream of, getting your first start in the NFL. I’m really excited to get out there with the guys, take advantage of having the full week to get prepared and try to put my best foot forward to help the team win.
Maye takes over from Jacoby Brissett as the starting quarterback
“It’s probably going to be a little nervous at the beginning. I think once we settle down, we have a chance to move the football and just have fun out there. It goes back to having fun going out there. That’s what this game is about. Don’t make it too big, or the spotlight too big. Just go out there with those guys that we’ve been battling for three months since training camp, go out there and try to make some plays.”
Mayo explained his rationale behind the decision when he faced the media. He said: “I think now, Drake gives us the best chance to win now and going forward. He’s been getting better every single week, as I’ve said before.
“At the end of training camp, he actually was trending at a very high rate. That has continued through the early part of the season. So, it was solely my decision to make this choice. I had a conversation one-on-one with Jacoby. I had a conversation with Drake. We’re all on board.
“I would also say Jacoby is a warrior, and he took the news very well, like a professional, like you would expect from a guy like that.”
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