FOXBORO, Mass. — It was expected that New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye would take snaps from backup center Nick Leverett in his first career NFL start.
But that won’t be happening.
The Patriots decided to make a surprising lineup decision prior to facing the Houston Texans on Sunday at Gillette Stadium by having Ben Brown start at center over Leverett. Brown was signed off the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad Wednesday and had his first practice with the Patriots on Thursday.
It’s certainly not an ideal situation for the Patriots, and first-year head coach Jerod Mayo knows it, too.
“Change at center. Ben will start at center and we got a rookie quarterback,” Mayo said on 98.5 The Sports Hub prior to the game. “So, should be interesting.”
Brown never started an NFL game before and appeared just in one game in his career, coming last season with the Seattle Seahawks.
Leverett was active for the matchup against the Texans. He took over as the replacement for David Andrews — the Patriots captain is on season-ending injured reserve with a shoulder injury — and played in 100% of the team’s offensive snaps in New England’s loss last week to the Miami Dolphins.
Brown getting the start will make this the third center to start for the Patriots this season, only further fueling the questions about their shaky offensive line.
