Ex-Patriots HC Bill Belichick dissects Drake Maye's potential - "He needs a lot of seasoning"

The New England Patriots used the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft to select Drake Maye, hoping that the former North Carolina star will end the instability at the quarterback position that has marred them since Tom Brady's departure in 2020. Maye is seen as a potential franchise cornerstone, but he will have to wait his turn before taking over as the starter.

Last week, new head coach Jerod Mayo named veteran Jacoby Brissett as the starting quarterback over the rookie, which irked many Patriots fans. However, former head coach Bill Belichick, who led the team to six Super Bowl victories, believes it was the correct call.

On the Underdog Fantasy podcast's new video series titled "COACH," Belichick highlighted the deficiencies in Maye's skill set and opined that the rookie isn't ready to start for the Patriots.

"You like his size and you like his arm, but I think his inexperience really showed up in the preseason… I think that he needs a lot of seasoning in terms of reading coverages, overall throwing mechanics, and consistency. Is he a big, fast athlete? Yeah, but I think it’s going to take more than that to be able to play quarterback in the National Football League," Belichick said.

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Tom Brady on Drake Maye: Patriots icon backs Mayo's decision to start Jacoby Brissett

During an appearance on "The Herd," host Colin Cowherd asked Tom Brady whether the Patriots made the right call in naming Jacoby Brissett as the starter over Maye. He backed the decision but for a vastly different reason than Belichick.

"I've gone on record to say that I think that it's best in my opinion for young quarterbacks, or rookie quarterbacks to kind of watch a veteran do it... I sat behind Drew Bledsoe my first year. What a great player he was. Someone that I got to watch and learn from. Aaron Rodgers watched, behind Brett Favre. Patrick Mahomes watched behind Alex Smith," Brady said.

Mayo will be ecstatic that the two most important figures in Patriots history are on board with his decision to start Brissett. Maye will have to be patient before he gets the chance to endear himself to Patriots fans. For now, he'll have to sit on the bench, observe and learn as much as he can.