Getty Image / Scott Taetsch
The New England Patriots are the last quarterback competition still open as of Wednesday afternoon, as all of the other 31 teams have announced who their starters will be. The Patriots and rookie head coach Jerod Mayo have not announced who will start between veteran Jacoby Brissett and rookie Drake Maye.
On Wednesday, Mayo informed the press that he had indeeded selected a starting quarterback, but that they weren’t allowed to know. Even more strange was the fact that not even the members of his team were allowed to know.
The competition between Maye, who was drafted with the third-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to give the franchise the franchise quarterback they’ve been looking for since Tom Brady left the franchise following the 2019 season, and Brissett has been fierce all camp. Plenty of onlookers have said that Maye, who entered the draft as a true junior, looked the better of the two throughout camp.
As for their preseason stats, Drake Maye got significantly more snaps than Jacoby Brissett, so it’s hard to gauge. But, Maye went 21-34 for 192 yards and a touchdown while not throwing any interceptions. Meanwhile, Brissett went 5-14 for 36 yards and an interception.
The other factor in this is that the New England Patriots are widely expected to be terrible this year. So, it could be about developing Drake Maye as long as they can protect him up front and not hinder his development with constant pressure.
As for the decision, Mayo has made it.
Here’s the Boston Herald with more.
Yes, we’ve made a decision,” Mayo told reporters before a Wednesday practice. “Just haven’t communicated (it). And honestly, I want those guys to hear it first from me.”
Mayo took ownership of the decision, which he said he made Tuesday after speaking with offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.
“It’s hard to nail down a particular date, but if you want me to, I’ll say yesterday,” Mayo said. “I’m not sure what date it is, I just know I feel like I’m doing what’s best for the team with the decision that I made.”
Mayo also said he doesn’t need to inform his New England Patriot players who won just yet, which I think it a pretty bad choice. The sooner you can have a quarterback that a team can rally around, the better.
New England opens up their season next Sunday on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals.