The Patriots are one of the worst teams in all of football, but there will be a ton on the line for New England in its season finale.
Thanks to the New York Giants shocking the Indianapolis Colts in Week 17, the Patriots now are in complete control of the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The highly coveted selection officially will belong to New England if it drops its Week 18 game to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
Speaking with the media Monday, Jerod Mayo was asked multiple questions about how the Patriots could approach the significant showdown. Mayo admitted he will “consider” sitting Drake Maye, who obviously would raise New England’s chances of losing if he stays on the sideline. Furthermore, the Patriots head coach acknowledged there is “absolutely a possibility” that third-string signal-caller Joe Milton III could see playing time against the Bills.
Mayo’s remarks about New England’s Week 18 quarterback plan kind of contradicted other comments he made about the Patriots’ approach to their season finale. Mayo claimed his team is “100% focused on beating the Buffalo Bills,” but that obviously wouldn’t be true if New England plays Milton over Maye.
Of course, it’s in the Patriots’ best interest to close out the campaign with a seventh straight loss. New England would control the draft with the No. 1 overall pick, as it could use the asset in a variety of impactful ways.
