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We may actually see Drake Maye in a Patriots uniform against the Panthers.
If we could get Maye to drink a glass a truth serum, how would the former Carolina star quarterback answer the following questions:
Beside signing a $36 million contract, how has it been going from playing college football at his home state university, where he was a hero from snap one, to being a first-round draft pick for one of the most storied – and difficult – franchises in the National Football League?
Are you ready to play in the Patriots’ first exhibition game against your home-state pro team Thursday night on the NFL Network, where millions of curious fans will be watching and the maniacal New England media judging you?
You had an entire red-shirt season to learn the college game; are you ready to play an NFL game after summer workouts and about a dozen training camp practices?
Will you be shell-shocked, a bit unprepared or just ready to play when your number is called sometime in the first half?
Maye has been carefully nurtured by the team and fellow-rookie, head coach Jerod Mayo, up to this point. Despite some uneven performances, as much due to the Patriots continued rebuilding on offense, the affable 6-4 rookie has had mostly mixed reviews in the drills, the 7-on-7s and the full-contact scrimmages.
Veteran Jacoby Brissett, the N.C. State alum in his second stint with the Pats, will be the starter in the exhibition and depending on what Maye does when he comes in will likely remain that way through the regular season opener against Joe Burrow and the Bengals on September 8, in Cincinnati.
In his press conference this week, Maye looked and sounded like a combination of the All-American he was in college and an overwhelmed rookie. He is throwing to new receivers including several rookies who like him are trying to earn playing time and stopping to sign autographs for kids and “make their day” on his way off the field.
He said he feels comfortable under center as well as in the shotgun the Tar Heels used for most of his college career. “Do the best you can and get ready for the next play,” he said with his patented smile and shoulder shrug. “Never too good, never too bad, just learn from it.”
On one hand, playing quarterback is the easiest position because he rarely gets hit while receivers are running all over the field and the linemen are colliding on every play. On the other, “It’s the little things. As a quarterback, you’ve got to learn to do it right.”
Besides the bullet throws, what we’ll see against the Panthers is recognizable. “Scramble throws, run around, make some plays. It’s still part of my game,” Maye said.
We can’t wait to see what the NFL No. 10 looks like.
Featured image via Associated Press/Steven Senne
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
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