Source: The Patriots plan to start rookie QB Drake Maye against the Texans

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Rookie Drake Maye is taking over as starting quarterback for the New England Patriots, a source tells ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Maye, the third overall pick in the 2024 draft, replaces nine-year veteran Jacoby Brissett as the Patriots (1-4) prepare to host the Houston Texans on Sunday.

The Patriots have lost four straight games after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 16-10 in their season opener. First-year head coach Jerod Mayo said last week that the way the team played in its only win was “untenable” because of the low point total; The Patriots are now averaging 12.4 points per game.

Brissett handled adversity admirably and largely avoided critical errors to keep the Patriots competitive despite averaging nearly 10 goals per game. That included playing behind five different starting offensive line combinations and throwing to a wide receiver corps that ranks last in the NFL in catches (39) and receiving yards (342).

But in recent weeks, Mayo appeared to be weighing how much of the offensive woes were due to quarterback play and what instability there was around the quarterback — while also taking into account Maye's development behind the scenes.

Brissett is 79 of 135 for 696 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception. The only interception came in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4, with linebacker Fred Warner returning the ball 45 yards for a touchdown.

In Sunday's 10:15 home loss to the Miami Dolphins, Brissett didn't reach 100 yards until the fourth quarter.

When Mayo was asked to rate Brissett's performance in the game, he said on Monday: “It just wasn't good enough. I thought we played well enough defensively and on special teams to win. As a quarterback, he understands that, he keeps touching the ball. “On every single play we didn’t score enough points to win the game.

Maye will now become the fourth rookie quarterback to start a game this season, joining Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix.