Patriots fans have been wondering whether a quarterback switch will happen, and calls for Drake Maye to replace Jacoby Brissett intensified on social media on Sunday after New England’s Week 4 blowout loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Brissett is far from the only problem the Patriots have, and Rob Gronkowski wants fans to be patient when it comes to making Maye the starter.
“New England Patriots fans, I know what you’re saying: ‘Put Drake Maye in, this offense needs a spark.’ But I’m telling you, it will be the same old story with Drake Maye in if he replaces Jacoby Brissett,” the four-time Super Bowl champion said during FOX’s halftime show. “He’ll be getting sacked. The offensive line will be letting guys go through, putting pressure on him. You don’t want to ruin his confidence. Wait until at least Week 12.”
The offensive line has a lot of holes, and the Patriots’ tackling has been abysmal. Even when Maye made his NFL debut in Week 3, he was sacked two times in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
Coach Jerod Mayo has been adamant about the Patriots having a ramp-up plan for Maye and that they want to stick with it until he’s 100% ready to be the team’s starter. If they truly see the 2024 No. 3 overall pick as the future, then it wouldn’t be wise to put Maye in — especially with how much the offensive line has struggled.
Going into Sunday’s game, Brissett was sacked nine times. The 49ers racked up six sacks on Sunday, and that number will only continue to rise if the O-line continues to be predictable.
Mayo said after Sunday’s loss that Brissett is still the Patriots starter, so it doesn’t appear there will be a change at quarterback going into Week 5.
