FOXBORO, Massachusetts — The Patriots hope to decide who their starting quarterback will be by Monday night, about 24 hours after their final preseason game in Washington, coach Jerod Mayo said.
At the beginning of training camp, Mayo and Patriots coaches made it clear that Jacoby Brissett was the team’s starter. But as Drake Maye progressed and impressed in training camp, their language changed and they spoke of a competition between Brissett and Maye for the top job.
On Wednesday, Mayo said Maye is “100 percent” ready to take over at quarterback, suggesting the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft could still get the job with a great performance in the final exhibition game. At the same time, Mayo seemed to suggest that Brissett is heading into the final days of this battle with the lead.
“It’s still a competition and Jacoby is still QB1,” Mayo said.
While Brissett was the better quarterback at the start of training camp, Maye improved and surpassed the veteran in his team’s second preseason game.
On Sunday evening – the last of their test games – the Patriots want to use all of their healthy players. This means one last chance for Brissett and Maye to make an impression. The decision will be made on Monday evening.
“That doesn’t mean I’ll tell you on Monday,” Mayo said, laughing.
What are the chances that Maye will start?
Having been to every practice this camp, it’s unlikely that Maye will start, even if he plays slightly better than Brissett on Sunday night. So far, Maye hasn’t taken a single snap with the entire starting offensive line, which is all reserved for Brissett.
So while the Patriots are leaving open the possibility that Maye could win the job by, for example, completing 15 of 16 passes for three touchdowns on Sunday night, it is most likely Brissett’s job.
However, Mayes’ strong performances of late mean that Brissett will likely begin the season with less of a chance than expected at a starting spot.
The Patriots’ first four games were brutal, three of them away and three against teams with Super Bowl hopes (Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers).
Therefore, it would make sense to let Brissett play the first four games and then turn to Maye if the Pats struggle in those games.
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(Photo: Jessica Rinaldi / The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
