Jacoby Brissett injury update has Patriots fans stressed: “Drake Maye about to feel David Carr’s pain” 

Patriots fans are extremely excited to see Drake Maye taking the field, but the team is taking extra cautionary steps with their young quarterback so as not to hamper his development. While keeping him away from the game might not be as exciting, there could be some reason for not playing him, with Jacoby Brissett instead as the starter.

New England's offensive line is awful - and the coaching staff knows about this. Not only do they not have enough talent, but the potential to develop also isn't there. If you put a young quarterback to play behind that protection, the results could be awful - David Carr in 2002 works as a cautionary tale.

As the Patriots faced the Washington Commanders during the final week of the preseason, the thought of Maye facing elite pass rushers behind that offensive line was awful for the fans. They're afraid he could get hurt and waste his potential with the team that's around him:

"The exact problem with poor offensive line play. A defenseless QB is the toughest thing to watch.", noted one fan

"And this is the reason Drake Maye will NOT start Week 1. Can’t have the future of the franchise killed by Week 3 behind this Patriots O-Line" wrote another one.

"Can we bubble wrap Maye for the future? That O-line play was awful" begged a final one.

The fear is that Maye could suffer the same fate as David Carr, the first-ever draft pick from the Houston Texans in 2002, whose career was destroyed by playing in an awful team and without any chances to develop.

Drake Maye could be the sole reason for Patriots fans to be excited in 2024

For the rookie and the New England Patriots, it's a new dawn. They joined forces after the draft, where the Patriots grabbed him with the No. 3 overall pick. New England fans were extremely excited about the team's pick and believed that they would finally be able to replace Tom Brady after four years of unsuccessful tries.

The feeling around the franchise is different now. While Belichick's hard coaching style is not a secret to anyone who has followed the NFL for a long time, and it worked when they were winning with Tom Brady on the roster; when you're losing and your coach follows a hard line, players aren't always going to take it.