Drake Maye’s early exit for Bailey Zappe draws boos from Patriots fans, NFL Twitter

Drake Maye was the main reason anyone tuned into the preseason game between the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers. The debut of the No. 3 overall NFL Draft pick had fans hyped.

Maye's debut lasted six plays.

The Patriots gave presumptive starter Jacoby Brissett and their QB of the future one drive each. Then they brought in Bailey Zappe, to the dismay of everyone at Gilette Stadium and beyond.

Maybe some fans were booing Zappe directly, but it seems more likely the boo birds were out because of Maye's absence. He was the headliner and he barely got any run.

To be fair, the weather was bad. It's also possible the Patriots didn't want Maye out there behind a second-team offensive line. Whatever the reasoning, it pissed people off.

NFL Twitter figuratively boos Patriots for denying Drake Maye preseason reps

Preseason games can be rough viewing whether you're a fan of the teams playing or not. Specific players are the ones who draw eyeballs. Maye was that guy on Thursday night. He went 2-for-3 for 19 yards with both completions coming on screens. So it wasn't exactly a showcase.

Being cautious with Maye has some merit. The last thing New England wants is for him to pick up an injury that curtails his development. Having said that, teams have to find a balance between protecting their QBs and giving them valuable reps when they can.

The current plan is to have Brissett start, so Maye can't expect to see very many live reps outside of the preseason. At least not in the early stages of the campaign. No one expected him to play the whole game, but letting him get in couple of drives would have brought value.

In a week, the Patriots will host the Eagles in their second preseason game. With any luck, the weather will be better and Maye will get his chance to shine.