A new era in Patriots football is underway.
The 2024 NFL season will be New England’s first since 2000 in which Bill Belichick is no longer in charge. Former Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo will take over as head coach, and the 38-year-old is already facing a difficult decision at the team’s most important position.
In addition to a new head coach, New England will also have a new starting quarterback.
The Mac Jones experience did not go as planned after the Patriots selected the Alabama product with the No. 15 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The franchise traded Jones to the Jaguars in the offseason, paving the way for a new signal caller at center.
New England has created two viable options through its offseason transfers.
First, the team signed veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who served as Tom Brady’s backup (and interim starter) for the Patriots in 2016. Then it signed star quarterback Drake Maye from North Carolina with the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft – New England’s highest draft pick since it selected Drew Bledsoe with the first overall pick in 1993.
Which player will be the Patriots’ quarterback in Week 1? The Sporting News takes a closer look at head coach Mayo’s comments on the position battle below.
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Will Drake Maye start immediately for the Patriots?
It seems that head coach Mayo and the Patriots will be patient with rookie quarterback Maye.
Mayo was adamant that Brissett would start for New England in Week 1 and left no doubt about that.
“After the spring, I think there will be no more doubts. Jacoby is the starting quarterback at this point,” Mayo told the media bluntly in late July.
“…I think it’s clear that Jacoby is the player who is best prepared for the pros. He’s played a lot of football.”
Brissett played all the snaps in practice with the starters and served as QB1 in the Patriots’ first preseason game.
None of the quarterbacks battling for the starting position played much in this test game – Brissett played one series, while Maye played a total of six snaps.
According to Mayo, Maye is expected to play more in New England’s second preseason game against the Eagles, but it doesn’t seem like his performance will have much of an impact on Brissett’s role as starter.
The Patriots want to make sure their future franchise quarterback is as prepared as possible before taking over the starting position, and given how this season is expected to unfold, that’s probably a smart decision.
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New England’s 4.5 total win odds are the lowest predicted by BetMGM Sportsbook for this NFL season.
The Patriots’ defense was rock solid last season, but they finished last in total points and third in total yards. The offense didn’t see much improvement, leaving the starting quarterback with limited tools.
Rather than pushing Maye into a losing position, head coach Mayo will rely on a steadying hand like Brissett to usher in the new era. The 31-year-old has eight NFL seasons of experience and 48 starts under his belt. He has been a great backup and good starter since he entered the league.
That’s not to say Maye won’t be a starter as the season progresses, but Brissett appears to be the one going into Week 1 no matter what happens in training camp.
New England hopes Maye’s patience will allow him to have the same success as other star quarterbacks in the league, such as Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes and Jordan Love, who all spent at least one season on the bench before taking over the starting position.
