Bill Belichick Shares Grim Outlook For Drake Maye This Season

Bill Belichick knows a thing or two about coaching quarterbacks - especially quarterbacks with a New England Patriot on the side of their helmet - and let's just say he isn't exactly high on rookie signal caller Drake Maye. At least not yet.

The Patriots drafted Maye third-overall this past offseason hoping he'll be their franchise quarterback, but are taking a slow approach with the former North Carolina star by naming veteran Jacoby Brissett their Week 1 starter. Based on Belichick's assessment of Maye's game from what he saw the rookie do during the preseason, the Pats are making the right call in sitting him to start the season.

"You like his size, and you like his arm, I think his inexperience really showed up in the preseason as it did a little bit at North Carolina and I think that he needs a lot of seasoning in terms of reading coverages, overall throwing mechanics and consistency. Is he a big, fast athlete? Yeah. But I think it’s going to take more than that to be ready to play quarterback in the National Football League," Belichick explained on the ‘Coach With Bill Belichick’ show.

"You expect quarterbacks at this level to be able to throw check-downs to backs, to throw slant routes to wide receivers, to hit a wide-open seam, and look, you know, we all have plays that we wish we had back. Just saying these are some of the things that, you know, we need to work on," he later continued.

While Belichick may be right in his assessment that Maye isn't close to being ready to be QB1 in New England, which is fine given that he is a rookie, it's worth noting that Belichick is used to seeing Tom Brady and Mac Jones under center for the Patriots. Maye is far more athletic than Jones and certainly more mobile than Brady ever thought about being. 

Those two facts don't mean he's ready for the spotlight in the NFL, however, which is the exact point Belichick was driving home.