After a disastrous start to the 2024 season that has the New England Patriots at the very bottom of the NFL standings, a big change is being made. On Tuesday, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported that the organization was benching veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett in favor of Drake Maye—the 23-year-old rookie out of North Carolina who was picked third in April's NFL draft. He gets the nod to start under center against the 4-1 Houston Texans on Sunday.

So far this season, Brissett has thrown for 696 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception while completing 58.5% of his passes. He's managed to lead the team to one win, a season-opening 16-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. New England has dropped its last four games.

Since the Patriots picked Maye the messaging from the decision-makers of the franchise was clear: he would sit behind Brissett until the coaches felt he was ready. More importantly, most quotes emphasized the need for the team to be ready, too. The Pats wanted to put Maye in a position to succeed.

It is certainly debatable if they are doing so by throwing him in this week. New England boasts the worst offense in the NFL, in large part because its offensive line is brutal. Brissett has been sacked 17 times in five games—fourth-most in the NFL—and has been sacked on 11.2% of his drop backs, which is third-worst in the NFL. Maye's first start will come against a Texans front that has recorded 15 sacks in the first five games of the year. It will likely be a trial by fire.

Regardless of how ready Maye or the roster may be, the young quarterback is the future of the franchise. As fellow rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels thrives in Washington and Caleb Williams finds his footing in Chicago, the Patriots clearly felt it was time to see what they had in Maye.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Drake Maye to Make First NFL Start in Patriots' Week 6 Clash vs. Texans.

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