The New England Patriots will have their most exciting and most important player back on Sunday when they take on the Titans in Tennessee.
Rookie quarterback Drake Maye, who the Patriots drafted No. 3 in April, cleared the concussion protocol on Saturday, the team announced, and is expected to be the starting quarterback Sunday. Maye sustained a concussion in last week’s game against the New York Jets when he was hit as he slid during a scramble.
This will be Maye’s fourth consecutive start after taking over for veteran Jacoby Brissett. The Patriots’ offense has looked drastically better with the rookie under center and now faces a tough matchup against a strong Titans defense.
His addition also adds intrigue to an otherwise dull game between the two-win Patriots and one-win Titans.
This Patriots season isn’t going to be defined by wins and losses, but rather Maye’s emergence and development. Over 10 quarters of football, Maye completed 63 percent of his passes and threw for 564 yards and five touchdowns.
The early returns signaled that the Patriots hit on the quarterback, which is the most important part of this rebuild. But a matchup against the Titans won’t be easy, considering they surprisingly allow the fewest passing yards in the NFL at 152 per game.
Maye was a limited participant at all three Patriots practices this week while in the league’s concussion protocol. Now he’s cleared and ready to play.
(Photo: Cooper Neill / Getty Images)
