According to Mike Reiss of ESPN, the New England Patriots are set to start QB Drake Maye in their Week 18 season finale against the Buffalo Bills.

“Drake is our starting quarterback. If he’s healthy and ready to go, as we go through this week of practice, then he’ll play,” said Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo on Wednesday. “He’s a competitor, he wants to play, and he’s still developing. He’ll be ready to go.”

The Patriots have a significant incentive for the game; they could secure the first overall pick in the upcoming draft with a loss to Buffalo on Sunday.

Maye, just 22 years old, had an impressive college career at North Carolina, where he was honored as a first-team All-ACC player and named the ACC Player of the Year in 2022. The Patriots selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

He signed a four-year contract worth $35,771,205, which includes a signing bonus of $22,835,422. His cap hit for the 2024 season will be $6,503,855, and the deal includes a fifth-year option for the 2028 season.

This year, Maye has participated in 12 games, completing 66% of his passes for a total of 2,276 yards, along with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Additionally, he has rushed 54 times for 421 yards and scored two touchdowns.