Jacoby Brissett on losing starting job to Drake Maye: ‘I don’t think words can describe how tough it is’

"It's tough," Brissett said.

Jacoby Brissett is no longer the Patriots’ starting quarterback.

After five games, coach Jerod Mayo made the switch from Brissett to rookie quarterback Drake Maye.

“It’s tough. I don’t think words can really describe how tough it is,” Brissett said.

The Patriots’ offense was not producing enough scoring with Brissett under center, averaging 12.4 points per game.

Brissett threw two touchdown passes during his stint as the starter and led the team to average a league-low 119.4 passing yards per game.

The Patriots upset Cincinnati during the first game of the season, but the way they won was unsustainable, coach Jerod Mayo said. The Pats lost four in a row after the win over the Bengals.

Maye told reporters Wednesday that he was excited for his opportunity and that he hated to see the outcome for Brissett. He called Brissett a great mentor and a great friend. Brissett said Maye reached out after Mayo informed them of the decision.

“I’ve been through hard things in my life. I’m sure this won’t be the last time I go through something hard,” Brissett said. “So, I’ll be alright. Drake asked me how I was doing, and I’m like man if you’re worried about me, you’re worried about the wrong thing right now. I appreciated that, but I’ll be alright.”

Defensive lineman Davon Godchaux praised Brissett for his professionalism while while saying he was excited for the rookie.

“He’s the ultimate pro, man. He’s a leader. He’s a captain for a reason, so he knows how to deal with this. It’s not his first time,” Godchaux said. “He came in when [Tom] Brady was suspended the year when I was playing in Miami. He’s a pro. He’s still going to teach Drake, still mentor Drake. Just excited for Drake to have an opportunity to show his skills, to show us why he was drafted No. 3 overall.

Mayo said Brissett’s status as a team captain will not be affected by his demotion.

“I expressed that to Jacoby in our one-on-one that his leadership was not just what he did on the field, but also off the field,” Mayo said. “My expectation, and he agreed, was that he would continue to be a leader on our football team.”

Mayo expressed appreciation for the way Brissett handled the situation.

“He was a warrior,” Mayo said. “As you guys know, he’s taken a lot of hits and just kept getting up. I would also say, for a guy like that to be voted as a captain in this situation and continue to be very supportive of Drake Maye, I tip my hat to Jacoby for having that egoless mentality.”

Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.