On Monday, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo told the media that mental reps will be a huge part of rookie quarterback Drake Maye’s development as he sits behind nine-year veteran Jacoby Brissett to start the 2024 season.
And on Tuesday, he reiterated that point during his weekly appearance with The Greg Hill Show, emphasizing that Maye’s mental reps will come during both practice and game days.
So what does Maye expect his mental reps to look like on Sunday in Cincinnati?
I talked with the rookie QB about just that at his locker ahead of Wednesday’s practice.
He said, “I think the best thing is just hearing the play call, repeat it to myself, and just seeing the look on defense, and trying to kind of locate what I do.”
He went on to say that “if [Brissett] asks,” Maye will share with him what he’s seeing on the field, but it’s clear that he wants to respect the chain of command as he continues his development process.
“I don’t want to overstep my boundaries, like, ‘Hey, do this,’” said Maye. “He’s played in this offense and he’s a veteran in this league. So I would try to help him any way I can if I saw something. If not, just be on the side for encouragement.”
This will be the first regular season football game Maye has gone into where he wasn’t set to be the starter since his redshirt freshman season at North Carolina in 2021, where he only threw 10 passes across four games as the backup quarterback for future NFL quarterback Sam Howell.
Maye would go on to start all but one game for North Carolina over the next two seasons, opting to sit out of his team’s appearance in the 2023 Duke’s Mayo bowl after declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Regardless of where he’s situated on the depth chart, Maye’s mental preparation has him treating the week like he’s the starter.
“Just treat it the same,” said Maye. “I think just treat it the same. Just gotta be ready, expect that anything can happen. You know, I’m preparing like I’m the starter - you know, backup quarterback in this league is an important position.
“Preparing like that, and be ready for anything.”