Foxborough, Mass. (WEEI/WGR Sports Radio 550) - The New England Patriots are making a quarterback change.
According to multiple reports, rookie Drake Maye will make his first NFL start this Sunday against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium, while veteran Jacoby Brissett heads to the bench.
The move felt inevitable at some point, as New England's passing game continued to struggle week-after-week. The 1-4 Patriots have averaged just 119.4 passing yards per-game, which is dead last in the NFL.
Brissett has completed 58.5% of his passes for 696 yards, two touchdowns, one interception and a 74.2 passer rating.
While the offense's struggles certainly haven't been all on Brissett - the inconsistency and weekly turnover on the offensive line has been well documented - the nine-year veteran wasn't getting the job done either.
Now the Patriots will turn to Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in April's NFL Draft, as they look for any kind of spark on offense. Maye got his first taste of NFL regular season action in garbage time in Week 3 against the New York Jets, coming off the bench to complete 4-of-8 passes for 22 yards.
The Patriots had kept Maye on the bench to watch and learn as part of their much-discussed "plan" for the rookie, but that plan was getting harder to defend as the season slipped further-and-further away.
Maye will become the fourth rookie quarterback to start this season, joining Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears, Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders, and Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos. All three of those teams have winning records through the first five weeks, with Daniels, in particular, lighting it up for the 4-1 Commanders.