The regular season is almost here and that means Jerod Mayo will have to make one of his biggest decisions since he's become head coach of the New England Patriots.
Who will be the team's starting quarterback in Week 1?
At the beginning of the Spring, Mayo knew exactly who it was going to be . While he did say all four quarterbacks had the chance to earn the starting role, the front runner was clear even all the way through the beginning of the summer.
"I don't think there's any doubt - Jacoby (Brissett) is the starting quarterback at this point in time," Mayo said in July.
But while Brissett has shown promise during training camp, the preseason games have not been going well. He hasn't gotten a lot of time on the field, but in the second game, he got three drives. And the result was two three-and-outs and one interception in the end zone.
On the other hand, rookie quarterback Drake Maye has grown a lot since being drafted and is certainly in the running now.
This is very evident considering the shift in how Mayo has discussed the quarterback competition and the starting situation. On Monday, he was asked twice about it.
And instead of reiterating that it's Brissett, he kept things very open.
“100%… We don’t have a starting QB right now. When it’s time we’ll announce that," Mayo first said on WEEI's the Greg Hill Show on Monday morning. "He could absolutely be QB1, so could Jacoby.”
And he had a similar answer in his press conference prior to practice
"We still don't know right now. We have another preseason game, and then a week after that. When I know, I'll let you know," Mayo said.
However, if you ask Brissett the same question, he has a very different take.
“I still treat myself as if I’m the starter,” Brissett said Monday after practice.
Brissett and Maye will have the opportunity to show more of what they can do in a game considering Mayo made it clear that if a player is healthy, they will be playing against the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
All eyes were on Drake Maye on Thursday night as the rookie took the field for his second preseason game.
And based on what Jerod Mayo had told reporters earlier that week, Maye was expected to get a lot more time against the Eagles. So the rookie took full advantage of that.
While it is only the preseason, Maye got into the end zone for the first time in his NFL career on a four-yard run.
Maye faked the handoff to running back JaMycal Hasty and took the ball himself.
It was an incredible moment for the rookie.
But Maye did one thing on this touchdown that Patriots quarterbacks in the past haven't been known to do. And that's run with the ball.
Tom Brady will go down as the best quarterback in the history of the National Football League, but even he will admit that running wasn't a part of that. And then the team transitioned to Mac Jones, who once again, was known for throwing the ball rather than running with it.
There was Cam Newton, but his season with the Patriots really doesn't count considering how much he and the team struggled.
So this really is a changing time. Plus, the Patriots also brought in rookie Joe Milton III who has a lot of speed and can certainly run with the ball.
It's a new era in Foxborough and it's going to be a fun one to watch and cover.
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