When is Drake Maye? When we set out to run with football, there is both excitement and anxiety. Such is life with a mobile quarterback.

It’s like having a love-hate relationship with one of his best traits: his ability to use his legs.

It was fun watching Maye break through the defense and score in the first quarter on Sunday. That was the beauty of his 17-yard TD run against the New York Jets on Sunday during the Patriots’ 25-22 victory. He beat Jets linebacker Chazz Surratt at the pylon.

Likewise, there’s a sickening feeling when Maye takes off. It represents hope for the future of the series. He’s the Patriots’ meal ticket.

Shouldn’t it be in bubble wrap? Shouldn’t the Patriots have stopped him from running to protect him from injury?

Or should they let him go because his talent is part of what makes him so good?

Therein lies the dilemma.

Maye suffered a concussion and after one such run he was forced to leave the game early in the second quarter. He came out of the pocket, ran for 18 yards and was hit behind the helmet by Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood as he slid down.

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The rookie got back to his feet and stayed on the field for four more plays, including a pass attempt and a sack, but then headed to the blue tent and was eventually removed from the game due to a head injury.

The game and injury highlight the life of a mobile quarterback. And if this quarterback is the franchise quarterback, how bad do you really want him to run?

Patriots coach Jerod MayoDuring an appearance on WEEI’s weekly Monday “The Greg Hill Show,” Maye was asked what the fine line is between capitalizing on his talent and being involved with the franchise.

“It means ‘Damned if you do, damned if you don’t,'” Mayo said. “Or, ‘We should put him in the first week, or we should put him in here.’ We will always do what is best for the football team at any given time. Look, point guard is the most important position on the field… He needs to protect himself a little better.”

Patrick Mahomes has learned to be selective. Early in his career, the Chiefs’ quarterback struggled a bit. But the wear and tear on his body, combined with injuries, forced him to turn back. He’s still running and helping the Chiefs along the way with his timely acquisitions, but he no longer comes out of the pocket at the first sign of trouble.

He currently ranks 15th in the NFL in rushing yards for quarterbacks. He was carried off 34 times for 139 yards with two TDs.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who is slightly larger than Maye at 6-foot-1, 225 pounds, was told by his coaches that he needed to be a little more careful with his runs. Although he still occasionally tried to outmaneuver opposing players, he became more cautious over time.

He ranks 10th on the rushing list for quarterbacks. He was carried away 45 times, 204 yards, three TDs.

Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson currently tops the list. He has 81 rushes for 501 yards and two TDs in eight games.

right behind him rookie Jayden Daniels, He was ranked one spot ahead of Maye in the draft. The Washington Commanders quarterback currently has 74 carries for 424 yards. He had four rushing TDs.

Maye isn’t even close to Jackson’s average of 10 rushes per game. He was the Patriots’ leading rusher in yards in his first start against Houston. He went first against the Jaguars and finished second behind Rhamondre Stevenson against the Jets with just a quarter and changeup. But to this point, he’s topped five shots.

One of the key plays in the Patriots’ win against the Jets was Jacoby Brissett’s third down and gained 14 yards on the game-winning drive. Running is an integral part of the modern quarterback’s game.

But there are different types of running. There’s dodging pass rushes or seeing a lane and running. Or some teams design specific running plays for the quarterback.

Up to this point, the Patriots didn’t have any running backs designed for Maye. It would be wise to keep it that way. As for what happened Sunday against the Jets, Maye did what he had to do. It slipped. He entered the slide a little late.

That seemed to be what he meant when he said Mayo should have protected him better. So was this Sherwood’s assessment.

“I’m just trying to get to the ball at the end of the day. And as a runner, he’s got to do a better job of protecting himself, just like I’m trying to do a good job of protecting myself and him,” Sherwood said after Sunday’s game. “I felt like I did a great job of getting on top of him in that moment. “My shoulder pad may have hit his head, but it wasn’t intentional.”

On replay, it appeared that it was definitely Maye’s helmet that hit him. Whatever happens, it doesn’t change the story. Maye should continue to run at appropriate times. It should not be placed in bubble wrap. He must continue to use one of his special gifts.

He just needs to slide sooner.