On Wednesday, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo met with the media for the first time in 2025, with the main question from the end of 2024 still percolating as his team continues preparing for their Week 18 game against the Buffalo Bills (13-3):
Will Mayo bench starting quarterback Drake Maye to help ensure his team secures the No. 1 pick in April’s NFL Draft?
When asked about it on Monday’s edition of The Greg Hill Show, Mayo said “everything was on the table” as it related to his team’s signal caller for Sunday.
On Wednesday, his tune changed.
“This game - it's the last game of the season,” said Mayo. “My message to the guys was we want to finish off the season strong and try to build some momentum going into the offseason. I would say the guys are ready to go. We'll see how practice goes today.
“Obviously, I'm sure the question will come up, ‘Do you want to see certain players?’ Absolutely. I would say if players are healthy, they'll be ready to go. 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.”
When asked specifically if Maye would start on Sunday, Mayo said, “You're going to talk to Drake here in a second. Drake's healthy. He'll be at practice today, and we'll see how it goes this week.”
Andrew Callahan of The Boston Herald followed-up, asking Mayo, “When you say, ‘We'll see how it goes this week,’ referring to Drake, what factors will be at play when deciding whether he starts Sunday?”
“If you talk to Drake - which you will here soon - he's a competitor,” said Mayo. “He wants to play. He's still developing, so he'll be ready to go.”
“So if he wants to play, will he start?” Callahan followed-up.
“Drake is our starting quarterback,” said Mayo. “If he's healthy and ready to go, as we go through this week of practice, then he'll play.”
Outside of the draft pick consideration, there’s also the injury-risk element for Maye, who exited Saturday’s loss to the Chargers for one series with a head injury.
While there was obvious concern that Maye had suffered his second concussion of the season, the rookie QB was cleared and returned in the first quarter, playing until the fourth quarter when Jacoby Brissett came in for Maye in the 40-7 blowout.
With Maye’s propensity to take off with the football, there’s a real argument to make for Maye being put on the shelf for the remainder of the season.
That argument prompted Ben Volin of The Boston Globe to ask Mayo, “What about for a guy like Drake? You've made it this far into the season, there's only one game left - what about the risk of injury now with just this one game?”
“That's any position,” said Mayo. “I know oftentimes, we focus on the quarterback spot. But that's part of playing football.”
When Maye was asked about his status for Week 18 during his media availability on Wednesday, the UNC-product said he’s preparing the same way he always does.
“Would you understand if you didn't play the whole game?” asked Dan Roche of WBZ-TV. “Have you talked at all about that yet?”
“Yeah. I'm preparing like I’m the starter,” said Maye. “I think I'm going to be the starter, so I'm looking forward to being out there. I'm ready to go out there and win and compete in a close game.
“I want to be out there. You get experiences in these close games that you can't replicate in practice. You can't get those reps anywhere else. So, looking forward to, like I said, getting one more chance at these guys and end off on a good note.”
When asked if he had any reason based on how he felt to think he wouldn't play, Maye said, “No, I feel great. I woke up feeling good, thank the good Lord.
“It's another day to get out here, and I'm looking forward to getting out there Sunday.”
Maye looking forward to playing on Sunday should surprise no one. The man loves football, and you can see it in the way he plays on a weekly basis.
But when it comes to fans and media locally, the large majority are not as keen on the idea.
With the injury risk and the No. 1 pick on the line, sitting Maye is seen by many as the smart decision for Sunday.
In typical Mayo fashion, Monday’s “everything is on the table” and Wednesday’s “if he’s healthy and ready to go, then he’ll play” are two very different things.
When Mayo talks to the media again on Friday, we’ll see which end of this spectrum he’s leaning closer to as we get closer to New England’s season finale.
Stay locked in to WEEI and WEEI.com in the lead-up to Sunday’s game for all the latest on this developing story.