Patriots' Jacoby Brissett addresses uncertainty amid Drake Maye rise

Veteran Jacoby Brissett was on track to serve as the New England Patriots' Week 1 starting quarterback until he was outplayed by rookie Drake Maye in this past Thursday's 14-13 preseason loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

First-year New England head coach Jerod Mayo spoke with reporters on Monday and said he doesn't "know" who will start the regular-season opener at the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 8, but Brissett nevertheless is still confident he'll remain atop the depth chart over the third pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.

"I still treat myself as if I’m the starter," Brissett said after Mayo offered his latest comments on the situation, per Chris Mason of MassLive. "...I don’t really worry about the competition. I more so just worry about myself and being a good teammate."

New England seemed to have no quarterback controversy heading into the Philadelphia matchup amid whispers sugge sting that sixth-round draft pick Joe Milton III had outperformed Maye over multiple training-camp practices.

Maye then made things interesting when he completed 6-of-11 passes for 47 yards to go along with 15 rushing yards and a touchdown on four carries against Philadelphia. To compare, Brissett connected on 3-of-7 pass attempts for 17 yards with no scores and an interception.

Since Friday morning, multiple analysts and reporters have noted that Maye may be the better option of the two quarterbacks to start against Cincinnati because his athleticism allows him to get the most out of New England's lackluster wide receivers and shaky offensive line protection.

Meanwhile, Brissett may be tired of hearing about how he's the "perfect" individual to handle knowing that many fans want him to become the club's QB2 sooner rather than later.

"If 'mentor' means being a good teammate, yeah, I guess I’m the perfect person for that," Brissett added while speaking about his current role with the Patriots. "That’s how I look at it. But every day I’m learning. I’m growing in all the different roles. Trying to figure out how I can be a better teammate, better quarterback, better man. All of that stuff."

Both Brissett and Maye should receive opportunities to impress in New England's preseason finale at the Washington Commanders this coming Sunday night. That game quickly became more interesting for die-hard New England supporters and casual football fans than it was less than a week ago.