Patriots fans might not be thrilled to hear it, but it also shouldn’t come as any surprise.
New England will enter its season finale against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium on Sunday with intentions to play those who are healthy and, ultimately, win the game.
“I would say if players are healthy, they’ll be ready to go,” Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo told reporters Wednesday, per a team-provided video. “As far as how much they play, how much they don’t, I’ve never been a part of a team, as a player or as a coach, going into a game not wanting to win. It’s not going to change today, so that’s my message to the team.”
No surprise, right? Mayo was never going to sign off on tanking, nevermind admit it publicly.
Fans familiar with the 2025 NFL Draft board likely are hoping the Patriots lose their Week 18 contest. New England holds the No. 1 pick in the draft entering Week 18, and a loss would cement the Patriots in the top spot. A win over the Bills, however, almost certainly would drop the Patriots out of the top spot, and perhaps back to fourth or fifth.
Mayo said earlier this week all options were on the table regarding whether or not Drake Maye starts behind center. Maye needed to be checked out for a concussion Saturday, but returned to the game and has since said he feels fine.
Mayo intends on Maye starting against the Bills, and Maye said he’s preparing as if he’s the starter as well.
“Drake is our starting quarterback,” Mayo said. “If he’s healthy and ready to go, as we go through this week of practice, then he’ll play.”
Mayo added all three quarterbacks — Maye, Jacoby Brissett and Joe Milton III — will be “ready to go.” It comes two days after Mayo said playing Milton “absolutely” was in consideration.
Whether the Patriots beat the Bills, who clinched the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs, is yet to be seen. Mitchell Trubisky will play the majority of the game instead of MVP frontrunner Josh Allen given Buffalo’s postseason standing, but the Patriots lost to Snoop Huntley’s Dolphins and Mason Rudolph’s Titans already this season.
