The New England Patriots starting quarterback in Week 1 is Jacoby Brissett, a decision coming after a prolonged battle with Drake Maye this summer. While fans aren’t pleased with the team’s decision, there does seem to be a firm plan behind it.
When New England first drafted Maye with the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the team’s intentions seemed clear. The rookie would open the season learning from the sideline, watching Brissett as the Patriots starting quarterback for several months.
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However, Patriots coach Jerod Mayo admitted that Maye outplayed Brissett in the preseason. It also seemed to make sense for New England to give the starting job to the rookie, as on-field reps are the best way for a young quarterback to develop and learn. Mayo went in a different direction, but it still seems to have been a call with Maye in mind.
On the Scoop City podcast, senior NFL writer Daniel Russini of The Athletic shared what the Patriots want to see before starting Maye and why he wasn’t named the starting quarterback.
“The are you need to focus on is the timing of the offensive line. If they are able to improve their protection and have some consistent play out there, I think that’s when the New England Patriots would be more comfortable making the switch. A lot of this decision ahs to do with the fact that the protection hasn’t been great. They don’t want the rookie to get hurt, they don’t want to put him in a position where he’s going to just get absolutely crushed.”
Dianna Russini on when Drake Maye will become the New England Patriots starting QB
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During the 2024 NFL season, per Pro Football Focus , the Patriots’ offensive line allowed the fourth-most pressures (31), the third-most QB hurries (25) and ranked 23rd in PFF’s Pass Blocking Efficiency. The team also was reminded of the dangers of starting behind that offensive line when Brissett went down with a minor injury.
The Patriots coaching staff is also likely factoring in history into this decision. Former NFL Draft bust David Carr was sacked an NFL-record 76 times during his 2002 rookie season. More recently, Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young was sacked 62 times in his rookie campaign.
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All of those hits hurt the development and confidence of both quarterbacks, which is something New England wants to avoid with Maye. While the current state of the Patriots offensive line is also a poor reflection on the last regime, the current Patriots coaching staff has to make the best out of a bad situation. As a result, it will likely be several weeks before Maye takes over as the Patriots starting quarterback.
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