Patriots Jerod Mayo on Battle Between Jacoby Brissett, Drake Maye: ‘True Competition’

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — As the New England Patriots shift their focus to the 2024 regular season, the most intriguing storyline throughout the ensuing hours will revolve around revealing their starting quarterback.

Despite head coach Jerod Mayo having begun training camp by declaring veteran Jacoby Brissett as the team’s likely choice, the improvement shown by rookie Drake Maye has caused many to wonder whether the No. 3 overall pick in April’s draft will get the ball for the Pats season opener on Sept. 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

As of Monday morning, however, Mayo was not yet ready to make that announcement. During his weekly appearance on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show , the Patriots’ coach provided a minor update, in the wake of the team’s 20-10 preseason loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday night.

“This is a true competition. And I would say, at this current point, Drake has outplayed Jacoby,” Mayo said.

Maye has been described by some draft analysts as an “ideal fit” within Van Pelt’s offense. Perhaps best known for his elite arm strength, the 21-year-old also possesses the velocity and touch on the ball to make any throw required of him — including those into tight windows. Maye is equally touted for his exceptional athleticism. When the play breaks down, he possesses the both agility and instinct to turn off-script options into big gains. Though his preseason performance has not been perfect, he has shown enough improvement in his footwork and mechanics to be pro-ready at the season’s start.

Though Brissett has played sparingly, he has also been an effective field navigator capable of reading pressure at the line of scrimmage. The veteran started all three of the Patriots' preseason games, playing 27 total snaps and finishing 5-of-14 for 36 yards with zero touchdowns and one interception. Perhaps most importantly, Brissett possess the experience to mitigate the shortcomings of an offensive line which has struggled mightily throughout the summer.

Therefore, the Patriots’ decision may not be as clear-cut as originally thought.

“Everyone wants to know who the starter is going to be. I think there are multiple factors that have to go into this decision,” Mayo explained during a media conference call later on Monday.

“One is the total body of work, whether we talk about the spring or the entirety of training camp. I would also say, oftentimes you forget about just the overall experience that a guy like Jacoby has, which will also be weighted in the decision that we have to make here in the near future. But I’m happy with the way those guys are battling it out, and hopefully over the next couple of days we can name a starter and get the season rolling.”

To help his case, Maye has played 66 snaps while completing 21-of-34 for 192 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions. He has also rushed seven times for 32 yards and one touchdown.

Whether Maye has matured into the type of quarterback capable of overcoming the struggles of a potentially makeshift offensive line — while continuing to grow into the position — is yet to be determined. Still, it should be noted that his coach has yet to close the door to the possibility.

On that basis, the Maye era in New England may be closer on the horizon than one thinks.

"It's Drake becoming more comfortable with the scheme and more comfortable with the players around him," Mayo said, before adding: "I don't know how the story ends with Drake's rookie season, but all possibilities are open."