One of the most contentious NFL quarterback battles this offseason is finally set for a resolution , with first-year coach Jared Mayo set to announce New England's starter on Thursday afternoon.
A decision has been made just 10 days before New England's regular-season opener, where either highly touted rookie Drake Maye or journeyman Jacoby Brissett will lead the Patriots into Paycor Stadium against Cincinnati .
"I know everyone wants to know that, I'm going to take to the individual players tomorrow, have a team meeting, and then give it to you guys," Mayo told reporters on Wednesday about the quarterback decision. He added that the Patriots staff has made their selection but has not yet communicated it to the roster.
Mayo inherited a dire quarterback room upon accepting the Patriots' head coaching position, with previous first-round draft pick Mac Jones a failure in New England after throwing 12 interceptions to just 10 touchdowns his final season. The 38-year-old coach was hired in January and shipped Jones off to Jacksonville two months later, setting up the Patriots for another massive quarterback decision on draft night.
Handed the No. 3 overall pick, Mayo and the New England front office opted for Maye, the college football's fourth-leading passer and a Heisman finalist in 2022. With the expectation of signing a young quarterback, Mayo also signed longtime backup Jacoby Brissett as a stop-gap until Maye is ready to assume control of the offense.
Maye and Brissett entered training camp in open competition, but with the regular season now less than two weeks away the quarterback conundrum has only become more confusing, with Mayo offering seemingly contradictory statements within 24 hours earlier this week.
After New England's practice on Monday, Mayo was asked by reporters if Maye would become the starting quarterback if Brissett got hurt, with the new head coach appearing to confirm the rookie as a backup. "I would like to sit here and say 100%; he's our second-best quarterback on our roster right now," Mayo said. "I'm not sure until I watch the film."
The following morning, however, Mayo made an appearance on WEEI's Greg Hill Show Monday, noting that Maye had outperformed the veteran this summer. "What I will say is that this is a true competition,” Mayo said. “It wasn’t fluff or anything like that. It’s true competition and I would say at this current point, Drake has outplayed Jacoby.”
If preseason performance is the primary consideration, Maye emerges as a clear victor. The former Tar Heel has completed 21-34 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown while Brissett has connected on just 36 percent of his attempts and tossed an interception.
Still, speaking on the same local Boston radio station, Brissett expressed his perceived security toward the starting role entering week 1. "In my mind I am," Brissett said during a radio interview with WEEI. "I haven't heard anything differently. So that's what I have to go off of."
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