Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo stuck to his decision to name Jacoby Brissett as New England’s starting quarterback instead of rookie Drake Maye.
During a press conference on Thursday, Mayo explained that he would not engage in hypotheticals about when Maye – the Patriots’ No. 3 pick in this year’s NFL Draft – would finally be on the field as the club moves forward with the veteran as its top playmaker.
“I don’t want to get into hypotheses,” said the 38-year-old Mayo. “We can’t go into the season and say, ‘He’s going to play ‘X’ weeks.'”
“Look, as long as Jacoby is out there performing the way we all expect him to, he’s going to be our quarterback this season.”
Mayo’s brief but stern statement came after a reporter noted that the coach said Brissett would be the Patriots’ starting quarterback “this season” – and asked if that meant there was “no way” Maye would compete this season.
The coach said he spoke with Brissett and Maye both individually and together.
“I feel like we are all on the same page from an organizational point of view,” he added.
Mayo made it clear that he would not set a timetable for the situation and that he was convinced that Brissett was the best quarterback for the job.
He stressed that the Patriots are “100 percent behind” Brissett.
The Patriots will rely on Brissett’s services to get back on their feet after finishing last season at the bottom of the AFC East with a record of 4-13 – the franchise’s worst record since 1992.
Mayo, who was a Super Bowl champion linebacker with the Patriots for eight seasons, took over from Bill Belichick in January when the future Hall of Fame coach and the club parted ways after 24 seasons and six Super Bowl titles.
The Patriots open the 2024 regular season on September 8 against the Bengals in Cincinnati.
