The Patriots’ competition for the quarterback position has been the talk of the Foxborough area since the day they selected Drake Maye with the No. 3 overall pick.
Early on, head coach Jerod Mayo made it clear that Jacoby Brissett would be their starter, citing his leadership skills and familiarity with the offense. He has since changed his mind somewhat, calling the QB1 spot a competition with only a handful of practices left in training camp.
“We don’t have a starting QB right now,” Mayo said Monday. “When the time comes, we’ll announce it. (Drake Maye) could well be QB1, as could Jacoby.”
Maye’s preseason performance against the Eagles last Thursday night was likely one that helped him become New England’s starter in Week 1. The rookie turned four drives into 10 points and completed six of his 11 pass attempts for 47 yards. He also scored a rushing touchdown — and his best pass was actually dropped by WR Javon Baker.
Despite the positive performance, the quarterback was only used to a limited extent with the Patriots’ “1s” in training. On Thursday, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt answered very directly when asked what was preventing Maye from running more with the starters.
“Jacoby,” he said without hesitation. “He’s our starting quarterback right now.”
Alex Van Pelt on what the #Patriots back on the possibility of playing Drake Maye in the starting offensive line:
“Jacoby. He’s our starting quarterback right now.”
— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) 22 August 2024
Although Van Pelt said in his own words that Brissett is still the Patriots’ QB1, he acknowledged that Maye has made great strides – especially in the game against Philly last Thursday:
“He’s been really impressive, especially the last few weeks,” he said, later acknowledging, “(Drake) made a big jump from the game to practice last week. He’s had a couple of really good days of practice. The footwork and timing, you can see it paying off on some of these throws.”
So is there really a chance that Maye will start in Week 1? Van Pelt technically left the door open – and at the same time stressed that they did not want to force their newcomer into the deep end:
“I’m sure (there’s a chance),” he explained. “Coach (Mayo) said it’s an open competition. Obviously, we still have one game to go. I’m sure there’s a chance, but I think you still have to deal with how you introduce a rookie quarterback. I think that’s important to remember, too.”
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