The New England Patriots are sticking to their plan for the quarterback.
Jacoby Brissett will be the Patriots’ starting quarterback for the foreseeable future, head coach Jerod Mayo confirmed in a press conference on Thursday morning.
“We’ve decided – or I’ve decided – that Jacoby Brissett will be our starting quarterback this season,” Mayo said. “As an organization, we’re 100 percent behind Jacoby.”
Mayo said he spoke with Brissett and rookie Drake Maye “individually and collectively” about his decision, which he announced to his players in a team meeting Thursday morning before his press conference.
“There are a lot of factors that went into this decision,” Mayo added. “I think the hard part is thinking short-term and long-term at the same time. However, as an organization, we believe Jacoby gives us the best chance to win right now.”
Maye made great strides during training camp and the preseason, to the point where Mayo admitted that Maye had actually “outperformed” Brissett. But the Patriots ultimately chose Brissett’s experience over Maye’s potential, deciding to take their time developing the 3rd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
New England’s decision to start Brissett appears to contradict Mayo’s statement earlier this summer that the best-performing quarterback would get the job. Brissett completed just 5 of 14 passes for 36 yards with one interception in the end zone in three preseason games, while Maye completed 21 of 34 attempts for 192 passing yards with one touchdown while adding 32 rushing yards and an additional score on seven attempts.
Still, it’s no surprise that Brissett gets the nod. The 31-year-old veteran has eight years of NFL experience with five NFL teams and appears to be the preferred QB of offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who worked with Brissett on the Cleveland Browns in 2022.
“There are certain things in that offense, and Jacoby, having played in that offense himself, knows some of the tools you can use to get out of certain situations, pressure situations and things like that that Drake is still learning,” Van Pelt said last week.
“… Jacoby has a ton of experience, not just in the NFL but in this system, and we won games with him in Cleveland, so I’m happy with his understanding (of the offense).”
Although Brissett will be on the field in Week 1, don’t expect Maye to take a back seat. The UNC product has proven very convincingly this preseason that he’s ready for NFL action, performing well despite a leaky offensive line. If Brissett falters even a little, the calls for Maye’s NFL debut will grow louder.
The question for Mayo, Van Pelt and the Patriots is whether they are willing to hamper Maye’s development by letting him play in front of a weak offensive line too early. And right now, it seems like we have the answer: They want to play with their rookie QB for the long haul.
