Mike Vrabel reveals why he doesn't play Drake Maye in NFL Preseason

In his inaugural full season as an NFL starting quarterback, Drake Maye demonstrated his potential as the New England Patriots' future franchise quarterback. Maye concluded his sophomore season with an impressive array of statistics, including 4,394 passing yards, 31 passing touchdowns, a 77.1 QBR, and an additional 450 rushing yards and four more scores. These accomplishments contributed significantly to the Patriots securing their first AFC East title since the 2019-20 NFL season.

Following this successful season, Maye amassed a total of 1,000 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns in the post-season scrimmages, leading the Patriots to another Super Bowl appearance – their first since 2019. As is standard for established starters, Maye did not participate in the Patriots' preseason games, sitting out the first two matchups.

On a recent Monday appearance on the Massachusetts-based radio station WEEI, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel offered insights into his decision to exclude established starters from the preseason games. Vrabel, speaking via ESPN's Mike Reiss, emphasized that the final decision was made by the front office, and collectively, they were accountable for this choice.

Vrabel highlighted that the primary focus was on developing the young talent within the team. He stated that the players who were excluded from the game were those who needed more development, and the goal was to identify backup options and first-string replacements for the starters. This was the primary reason behind Vrabel's decision to keep Maye sidelined during the preseason.

Maye is not anticipated to play in the Patriots' preseason finale, scheduled for Thursday at 8 p.m. against the 0-2 Cleveland Browns. Once the Patriots commence their regular season with a rematch against the Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks, Drake Maye is set to continue his prominent role in the team's offensive lineup.