Drake Maye sitting out the Patriots season finale would not be the same as tanking.
Sure, it might help New England claim the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which should be the franchise’s desired result. But the Patriots can justify sitting Maye. They would be doing what’s best for the future of the team, and in more ways than one.
“One hundred percent focused on beating the Buffalo Bills, and that’s what we have to do,” Patriots head coach Mayo said Monday, unsurprisingly pushing back on intentionally losing.
Mayo is never going to outright say it, and not everyone will agree, but the decision can be explained.
First and foremost, it would ensure Maye, the team’s top asset by far, enters his first offseason healthy. Based on the pressure Maye has faced and the hits he’s taken — he’s now been checked for a concussion twice in 11 starts — that is no insignificant feat. And what’s there to learn about Maye in Week 18? He’s shown enough. He’s the future of the franchise regardless of how he plays against Buffalo Bills backups in a meaningless season finale.
And is there really anything else to glean from Mayo and his coaching staff? Isn’t there enough proof the Patriots are a poorly coached team that consistently gets in its own way?
The Patriots would be further justified in sitting Maye given it would open the door for fellow rookie Joe Milton III. Milton, who’s served as the emergency quarterback on gameday behind Maye and Jacoby Brissett, has yet to make his professional debut. Milton “absolutely” is in consideration to play against the Bills, according to Mayo.
There’s plenty of future value to be gained in starting Milton, too. Coaches and teammates praised Milton’s work behind the scenes, but he hasn’t taken the field on gameday. This would give him that chance while serving as a measuring stick for his progression from the preseason.
Perhaps Milton shows out and cements himself as a real asset for the Patriots moving forward, whether as a backup QB or trade chip. A 300-yard, three-touchdown performance in a meaningless game doesn’t mean a team would definitely trade for him. But they’re probably not lining up to trade for him now with zero regular-season reps, either.
The same thought process goes up and down the roster. Give rookie wideouts Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker all the receiver reps, regardless of how they’ve performed. It’s time to enter the fire. Give rookie offensive tackle Caedan Wallace all the reps at right tackle. Give Cole Strange a second consecutive start at center in hopes he enters the offseason on a high note.
If Milton connects with a Baker on a game-winning touchdown to beat Mitchell Trubisky and the second-seeded Bills, well, so be it. The Patriots would fall out of the running for the No. 1 pick, but that touchdown would be a positive result for the future, too.
That’s ultimately how the Patriots should view it — and it’s how they can justify it.
