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Charlotte Native Makes NFL Debut During Thursday Night Football

Author Randi Moultrie
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 19: Drake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots looks to pass against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter in the game at MetLife Stadium on September 19, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

We are into Week 3 of the 2024/2025 NFL season and one Charlotte native officially made his debut. Thursday (9/19) night’s game was a face-off between the New York Jets and the New England Patriots at Met Life Stadium.

Charlotte Native Makes NFL Debut

Charlotte native and former University of North Carolina player, Drake Maye, made his NFL debut for the New England Patriots during the 4th quarter of the game. Although a sad ending for the Patriots, the team put in their rookie quarterback to get some play time during the final quarter of the game.

Maye was drafted No. 3 overall with this year’s draft class. Maye is not the team’s starting quarterback and sits behind veteran player, Jacoby Brissett. Although the final score did not play in the Patriots’ favor, Maye did have a few complete passes during his play time in the 4th quarter.

Maye’s debut ended with 22 passing and 12 rushing yards. “I just thought it was an opportunity, a good opportunity, for him to go out there with the ones,” Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said of his decision to put Maye in the game.

The rookie quarterback was born and raised in the Charlotte area and was a star athlete at Charlotte’s Myers Park High School. Speculation has begun on whether or not Maye would get a chance at being the starting quarterback for the Patriots. Although Mayo did not specifically say yes or no during his post-game conference, he did say that the team evaluates weekly and the coaching staff will get together to make any necessary decisions.

The New England Patriots lost Thursday night’s game 24-3 to the New York Jets and now stand with a 1-2 record for the season.

Randi Moultrie is a Charleston, South Carolina native and has been in the radio industry for the last few years in Charlotte. Randi started with Beasley Media Group as an intern in 2019 and is now thriving in the digital world. Randi enjoys writing about her favorite foods (especially pizza) and all things fashion and travel. As one who loves taking trips to find new foods, it’s not surprising that she enjoys writing about both!

Ranking Every NFL Coach Hired for 2024

It’s been quite a wild NFL offseason already. I feel like every day, I wake up to some kind of major news breaking about one or more NFL teams. But, a lot of the changes happened right before the end of the season, in the form of a bevy of new coaches. So, let’s get into ranking every coach NFL hired for 2024.

It’s hard to believe, but the NFL is replacing a quarter of its head coaches in 2024. That’s so wild. I guess it goes to show that there is very little forgiveness in the NFL when it comes to those leaders. The same is true of college football, too. If coaches aren’t able to deliver in a few years, they’re out. The football world can also be very fickle. When you’re winning, you’re on top. When you’re losing, you’re out. I get it, though, because these teams want to win. There’s a lot of money and pride on the line. So, let’s hope the new coaches for the NFL this year deliver some good games.

Some of the head coaching changes have been shocking. For example, I was surprised when the Seattle Seahawks let Pete Carroll go after so many successful seasons. Another shocker, albeit not quite as surprising, was Bill Belichick. Sure, the New England Patriots had a terrible season. The worst. But, there’s no denying that Belichick is one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time. Will Carroll or Belichick resurface as the head coach of another NFL team down the line? Time will tell. But, for now, they’ll be watching from the sidelines. So, here I go with ranking the NFL’s eight new head coaches. While all of these guys look solid, some moves are just more winning than others. Reach out to me with your thoughts on the new NFL coaches here.

  • 8. Dan Quinn, Commanders

    The Commanders looked like favorites to get Ben Johnson from the Detroit Lions as their new head coach, but Johnson decided to stay in the Motor City. So, they snagged Dan Quinn. Of course, Quinn got the Falcons all the way to Super Bowl 51, so he has experience. But, it’s not really an exciting hire. Sill, Quinn could deliver the goods.

  • 7. Brian Callahan, Titans

    Brian Callahan is the new head coach of the Tennessee Titans, and he comes with football in his blood. His father, Bill, once took the Raiders to the Super Bowl. Brian stands on his own, though, and helped take Cincinnati on the Super Bowl run with Joe Burrow. Let’s see if he can bring that magic to Nashville.

  • 6. Jerod Mayo, Patriots

    Jerod Mayo has big shoes to fill as the new head coach for the New England Patriots. He’s replacing the great Bill Belichick. They’re keeping it in the family, though, as Mayo has been with the Patriots for years. Robert Kraft promoted the former Patriots star from within, much like former player Dan Campbell was given the head coaching role with the Detroit Lions.

  • 5. Raheem Morris, Falcons

    Like many of the coaches on this list, Raheem Morris has his work cut out for him with the challenging Atlanta Falcons. He’s no stranger to the NFC South and was with the Buccaneers years ago. Of course, Morris’ name got big as the defensive coordinator for Sean McVay when the L.A. Rams won the Super Bowl. Let’s see if he can make it happen in Atlanta.

  • 4. Antonio Pierce, Raiders

    Antonio Pierce helped Las Vegas come back at the end of last season, after Josh McDaniels was let go after his short time there. The players and fans seemed to really love Pierce and what he was doing in just a few games. So, this pick definitely makes sense.

  • 3. Jim Harbaugh, Chargers

    Well, Jim Harbaugh finally got back to the NFL. Every year, it seemed like Harbaugh was flirting with the NFL, trying to snag a gig and leave the Michigan Wolverines. Well, hot off a national championship win with the Wolverines, he’s back, now with the Chargers. He’s super motivated to get a Super Bowl. He also already has a good roster. So, this could go up quickly.

  • 2. Mike Macdonald, Seahawks

    The Seattle Seahawks let go of a great coach in Pete Carroll, but they got a great one, too. What’s more, the Seahawks knabbed a defensive-minded coach, which is a rare gem in the NFL. I mean, the NFL is usually so offensive-minded, so it’s nice to see someone on the defensive side of things leading the pack. MacDonald has a lot on his side, including some strong players and a great GM in John Schneider. He’s also known to be well-liked by players, which can go a long way.

  • 1. Dave Canales, Panthers

    It’s ironic that one of the most challenged teams has the No. 1 new coach on this list. But, it’s true. Dave Canales is a great fit for the Panthers, and boy, do they need the help. Canales has lots of history with the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He should be a great QB-coaching fit with Bryce Young, too.

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Author Randi Moultrie
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