Lawrence's advice for Drake Maye is a sign of the times for Pats

Lawrence's advice for Drake Maye is a sign of the times as Pats originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

If there's a glimmer of hope for the New England Patriots after their demoralizing loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, it's that Drake Maye could be the quarterback of the future.

The rookie QB completed 26 of 37 passes for 276 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions in his second NFL start. He now has 519 passing yards and five touchdown passes in two games after veteran starter Jacoby Brissett totaled 696 yards and two touchdown passes in the first five games.

Maye also seems to have the respect of his colleagues; Houston Texans QB CJ Stroud was looking for the No. 3 overall pick after their Week 6 matchup, and on Sunday, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence tracked down Maye to offer a few words of encouragement.

“I just told him after the game that he's a great player and to just keep working,” Lawrence told reporters after the game. “Just try to learn something every week. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You need to keep your confidence.”

“Honestly, he’s the leader of this team – this organization. When he plays on the field, everyone looks at the quarterback and he is a high pick, high draft player. Keep his confidence.”

Lawrence was in Maye's shoes; The Clemson product was the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft and endured a tough rookie season in Jacksonville, going 3-14 in all 17 games as the Jaguars' starter. The following season he made the Pro Bowl and helped the Jags reach the postseason with a 9-8 record.

That's why it's fitting that Lawrence Maye's advice, above all, is to be resilient.

“I didn’t tell him all of that in the brief conversation I had, but I would say this: There will be times when you get tested,” Lawrence said. “Sometimes it's difficult.” I've been there.

“It's hard to keep your confidence when there's something going on around you or the team is in a difficult situation, and maybe you're not playing your best as a player, but you just have to keep working every day and keep going.” Keep your head up and lead your teammates. That's the biggest thing.

New England fans should get used to hearing messages like this from opposing QBs this season.

The 1-6 Patriots appear to be the worst team in the NFL after a 32-16 loss to the weak Jaguars, and it's hard to see them winning more than three or four games down the stretch. If Maye continues to show promise, he will continue to be the only bright spot for this team and will continue to receive encouragement (bordering on sympathy) from other quarterbacks after losses.

That should at least be the case next Sunday when the Patriots play their second game against the New York Jets and future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, who sang Mayes' praises after the teams met in Week 3.