Patriots quarterback Drake Maye had perhaps his most noteworthy practice thus far Friday.
Maye has been the No. 2 quarterback through the first few days of training camp, playing behind the second offensive line but mixing in reps with the entire skill group. He’s made great throws. He’s made bad decisions. It’s been about what you’d expect out of a 21-year-old rookie, but New England likely has enjoyed the poise he’s shown early on.
Maye, for instance, made a poor decision to throw the ball in the flat during his second crack at 11-on-11s, where Matthew Judon was waiting and picked him off.
“Just a rookie mistake, no pun intended,” Maye told reporters after practice. “I had a deep shot, and I was going to throw to the flat late, and in this league, they’re going to cover the running back, so you’ve got to make sure you look out there before you throw it.”
Maye wasn’t just hucking the ball toward blue jerseys all day, though.
Ja’Lynn Polk reeled in a deep ball from his fellow rookie just four plays prior, going up between two defenders (Azizi Hearn and Jaylinn Hawkins) to make the highlight play. Maye deflected all credit, however, displaying the same even-keeled demeanor when discussing his highlights as he did his lowlights.
“He made a nice catch. It wasn’t a great throw, but Polk make a nice catch, great player,” Maye said. “Gotta look off the safety a little bit, but he made a nice play. Just give him a chance, right? Give those guys a chance. That’s what he’s here for. It’s what he’s making plays for. Looking forward to seeing more JP.”
Maye did seem to feel happy with how things have gone early, admitting to feeling excited about competing in his first camp.
“It’s been awesome,” Maye said. “I’m excited to get the opportunity to get some reps. I’m getting a lot of reps. I’m getting a lot of learning experiences, so I’m excited to be out here with the guys… It was a great practice, so I’m excited to get competing a little bit.”
New England made a hefty investment in Maye, so there should be zero surprise in knowing it will do anything it takes to help make him successful. It’s a two-way street in that regard, though, as Maye will be tasked with stacking days and learning from rookie mistakes.
“That’s part of it,” Maye said. “You can’t ride the ups and downs. Every play in a new play. I just can’t be too hard on myself — sometimes I am hard on myself, but it’s about how you bounce back in this league. I’m trying to learn that, and it’s a lot different in the game when this stuff really matters.”
