Patriots insider believes someone other than Jerod Mayo should make QB decision

New England Patriots first-year head coach Jerod Mayo left little doubt on Wednesday that rookie Drake Maye could win the starting quarterback job over Jacoby Brissett by the time the club's preseason finale at the Washington Commanders on Sunday night comes to an end .

During Wednesday's edition of NBC Sports Boston's "Arbella Early Edition" program, Patriots insider Tom E. Curran shared why he feels offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt should have the final say in who enters September as New England's QB1.

"Mayo has said, 'I'm delegating the offense to Alex Van Pelt. He is the head coach of the offense,'" Curran explained, per Darren Hartwell of the NBC Sports Boston website. "But a good leader would say, 'All right, we're going to go with your decision. I'm not going to hammer you if it doesn't work out, but if I at some point decide your decision is what we're going to do going forward , you're going to be okay with that too.' I think that's what you would have to do in a healthy relationship."

While Van Pelt is a former quarterback and a respected offensive mind, Mayo was a linebacker during his playing days and later served as linebackers coach under legendary head coach Bill Belichick.

Up until Maye outperformed Brissett in last Thursday's preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, the veteran seemed on track to get the nod for New England's Week 1 matchup at the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 8. According to Jason Ounpraseuth of NESN, Van Pelt told reporters on Thursday that "Jacoby, right now, [is] our starting quarterback" as the club remains "in the evaluation process" heading into Sunday's contest at Commanders Field.

"I think the first vote goes to Alex," Curran noted. "'Alex, the floor is yours. Who do you want to start at quarterback?' And then as the supervisor, CEO of the team, there have to be other things that enter into it from Mayo's mind to say, 'I'm watching it too. I see this, and if we do this then this will happen.' So, Mayo could potentially overrule him, but I don't think he would in the first camp."

The Patriots' 2024 bye doesn't arrive until Week 14 so it's unclear when Maye would play if Brissett started the season atop the depth chart and stayed healthy through November. With the Patriots unquestionably in the middle of a multi-year rebuild, those running the club are tasked with keeping the current locker room motivated while ensuring that Maye is given the best chance to become a long-term franchise quarterback.