The Drake Maye era in New England has begun sooner than many expected.
With the game against the Jets out of reach on Thursday night, Maye made his NFL debut with just over four minutes left in the Jets' 24-3 win at MetLife Stadium.
Maye was the No. 3 overall pick in this year's draft, and during training camp the Duke product was expected to thrive behind starter Jacoby Brissett.
After Brissett was held to just 94 passing yards and sacked five times, the Patriots considered giving Maye a chance to go under center, but it was a disrespectful moment for the rookie.
Maye's first career NFL pass was nearly intercepted and four of his eight passes were incomplete.
Maye was sacked twice for a loss of 13 yards.
Maye advanced the Patriots 46 yards and finished the series with a 22-yard pass.
He added 12 more yards on the ground and finished the game with a passer rating of 56.2.
His first completed pass was to running back Antonio Gibson.
Maye's NFL debut also gave him a chance to face future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, who was playing at MetLife Stadium for the Jets for the first time since suffering a season-ending injury in last year's season opener.
According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, Maye was waiting nearby to shake Rodgers' hand while he was doing an interview with Prime Video after the game.
“We're waiting for the GOAT,” Maye said, according to an NFL source.
The Patriots are scheduled to play the 49ers next week.
