The Drake Maye era in New England is about to begin.
The Patriots will reportedly give the rookie his first start in the NFL in Week 6 against the Texans. The move comes after Maye sat behind veteran QB Jacoby Brissett for the first five weeks of the season.
Maye was selected No. 3 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft out of North Carolina. He appeared in relief of Brissett during Week 3's "Thursday Night Football" blowout loss to the Jets, but now gets his first crack at leading the Patriots.
New England started the 2024 season on a high note, upsetting the Bengals in Cincinnati to kick off the campaign. However, since that win, the Pats have dropped four games in a row, including losses to the Seahawks, Jets, 49ers and Dolphins.
Brissett, in his ninth season in the league, has been far from impressive through the first five weeks. The Patriots rank last in the NFL in passing yards per game with an average of 119.4. The hope is that Maye can improve the passing game, adding a secondary threat on offense to the rushing attack led by Rhamondre Stevenson.
With that in mind, here's a look at New England's current depth chart at quarterback, now with the change ahead of Week 6.
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Patriots QB depth chart
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Drake Maye |
| 2 | Jacoby Brissett |
| 3 | Joe Milton III |
No. 1: Drake Maye
It's reportedly happening — Maye is now QB1 in New England.
The rookie is getting his first start in the league and second taste of NFL action this season. During his Week 3 appearance, he completed four of his eight passes for 22 yards, while also adding 12 rushing yards late in the fourth quarter.
Maye's time as a backup wasn't surprising. New England head coach Jerod Mayo stressed ahead of the season and throughout the first month that the ideal scenario for Maye's development was to learn behind Brissett. However, that lasted just five weeks, with the passing game putting up atrocious numbers so far.
On Wednesday in Week 6, Mayo made the move official.
Jerod Mayo officially has named Drake Maye as the Patriots starting quarterback.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 9, 2024
pic.twitter.com/aeN5EPEkXk
No. 2: Jacoby Brissett
Brissett now reverts back to a backup QB, a role that he served last season with the Commanders and previously held with the Patriots, Colts and Dolphins.
In five games this season, Brissett has thrown for just 696 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception. His inefficiency through the air has been detrimental to a New England offense averaging 12.4 points per game, ranking 31st in the NFL.
Even though he no longer is the starter, Brissett offers an excellent resource for Maye as he gets his young NFL career underway.
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No. 3: Joe Milton III
Milton was selected in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Patriots out of Tennessee. He beat out Bailey Zappe for the third quarterback spot on the roster, although he has yet to be activated for a game in 2024.
In his final season at Tennessee in 2023, Milton recorded 2,813 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also added 299 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.
