**Patriots Turn to Rookie Drake Maye as Starting Quarterback**

In a significant shift for the New England Patriots, rookie quarterback Drake Maye has been named the new starter, replacing the experienced Jacoby Brissett. This change comes as confirmed by a source to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Selected as the third overall pick in the 2024 draft, Maye steps into the role as the Patriots struggle with a 1-4 record. The team faces the Houston Texans this Sunday, hoping to break a four-game losing streak that followed their season-opening win against the Cincinnati Bengals. First-year head coach Jerod Mayo had earlier described the team’s performance in their sole victory as "unsustainable," citing their low scoring average of just 12.4 points per game.

Brissett has faced numerous challenges during this season, enduring nearly 10 hits per game and working behind an inconsistent offensive line, which has seen five different starting combinations. Additionally, he has been throwing to a struggling wide receiver group, which is last in the league in both catches (39) and receiving yards (342). Despite facing such adversities, Brissett has managed to keep the team competitive by minimizing critical errors.

Coach Mayo has recently been evaluating the extent to which the offensive difficulties can be attributed to Brissett’s performance versus the instability surrounding him. Brissett’s season stats include 79 completions on 135 attempts for 696 yards, along with two touchdowns and one interception. The interception, thrown in Week 4 against the San Francisco 49ers, was returned 45 yards for a touchdown by linebacker Fred Warner.

Brissett's struggle became more evident in the recent 15-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins, where he failed to pass for 100 yards until the fourth quarter. Speaking about Brissett's game performance, Mayo stated, “It just wasn't good enough. I thought we played well enough defensively and on special teams to win. As the quarterback, he touches the ball on every single play, and we didn't score enough points to win the game."

With Maye’s promotion to starting quarterback, he joins the ranks of Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Bo Nix as one of four rookie quarterbacks to start a game this season. The Patriots now look to Maye to provide a much-needed spark to their struggling offense.