The Patriots open the 2024 preseason on Thursday night at home against the Panthers. And when the game kicks off at 7 p.m. inside Gillette Stadium, it will (eventually) lead to the preseason debut of rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
Selected third overall by the Patriots in the draft, Maye is understandably accompanied by a degree of curiosity and expectation. The early reports from training camp suggest that he is, unsurprisingly, a first-year player grappling with the new reality of playing professional football.
Patience, in other words, is required in analyzing Maye (as it is with any rookie).