The Drake Maye era in New England is set to begin this week

It's officially Drake Maye time in New England.

The New England Patriots have decided that it is time to insert their rookie quarterback into the starting lineup, tabbing him to lead the offense starting this weekend against the Houston Texans. Jacoby Brissett, who started the team's first four games, will drop on the depth chart to back up Maye.

It was essentially a matter of time before Maye was handed the reins, as the Patriots didn't want to rush the No. 3 overall pick into action right away. While the Patriots currently sit with a 1-4 record and have scored 13 or less points in four of those five contests, there's no better time than now to see if Maye can provide a spark for the team's offense.

Maye made his NFL debut against the New York Jets on prime time a few weeks back, relieving Brissett in a game that was essentially out of reach. He completed four of eight passing attempts for 22 yards, driving the Patriots offense down the field before the game clock expired to end the contest.

Now, Maye will have a full week to prepare to take over as the team's starter, as he'll be tasked with going head-to-head against a very talented Houston Texans squad. At this point, it's very encouraging to see that Maye has shown enough in practice to prove to the Patriots that he is ready to take over the reins and lead this team into the future.