FOXBORO – The Patriots will decide on their starting quarterback shortly after their third and final preseason game against the Commanders on Sunday.
Head coach Jerod Mayo said Wednesday that the Patriots should decide early next week whether Jacoby Brissett or Drake Maye will be their starting quarterback.
“I would say by Monday night we should know who the quarterback is,” Mayo said. “Sunday night games, it’s always pretty hard to go through the film, especially on the road, but I think Monday, Monday-Tuesday, we probably need to know who it is.”
However, that does not mean that Mayo will make the announcement at this time.
Brissett has made all of his first-team appearances in both training camp and the preseason, but Maye has shown significant progress over the last week. The Patriots considered Monday the final day of training camp and the rest of this week a hybrid day as they prepare for the Commanders.
“It’s still a competition, and Jacoby is still QB1,” Mayo said. “It’s a competition between all the guys on the field, including the quarterback position. Hopefully that makes sense to you guys, but he’s still QB1.”
The decision will be made in collaboration between Mayo, Executive Vice President of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf and the offensive coaching staff.
It would be a surprise if Maye took the reins as starting quarterback by the team’s Week 1 opener on September 8 against the Bengals, as Mayo is confident the rookie can lead the way.
“I think everyone can see Drake’s confidence growing, and everyone can see Jacoby going out here and doing a good job overall,” Mayo said.
All four quarterbacks will play in Sunday’s final preseason game, and with the decision coming early next week, Sunday’s game could play a big role.
Originally published: