Patriots Set Timeline for Maye, Brissett QB1 Call; HC Says It’s ‘Still a Competition’

Julia StumbaughAugust 21, 2024

Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo says he hopes to make a decision regarding the quarterback battle between Drake Maye and Jacoby Brissett by Monday night.

“It’s still a competition, and Jacoby is still QB1,” Mayo said Wednesday, per the team’s press conference transcript.

“It’s a competition amongst all the guys on the field, including the quarterback spot. So, hopefully that makes sense to you guys. But he’s still QB1.”

Despite Mayo’s assertion that Brissett remains on top of the depth chart, Maye expressed some doubt about the veteran’s position on Wednesday:

Mark Daniels @ByMarkDanielsDo you feel like Jacoby Brissett is the starter?

Drake Maye: “I’m not 100% sure.”

Both Brissett and Maye are set to play during Sunday night’s preseason finale against the Washington Commanders, Mayo said.

The Patriots will have two weeks after that final exhibition game before either Maye or Brissett will start the regular season on Sept. 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Mayo said the quarterback’s playing time would be “a little different” from Game 2 of the preseason, during which Brissett played the first quarter before being replaced by Maye for the next two against the Philadelphia Eagles.

During that last contest, Maye led the Patriots on two scoring drives and ran for a touchdown, while Brissett went 3-for-7 for 17 yards and an interception.

When asked what he was looking for from the quarterbacks this week, Mayo said: “I think it starts with the operation. I always say, ‘Good huddle, good break, good play.’ So, it starts in the huddle, then getting guys lined up, going out there, executing the play, making the right reads and moving the offense down the field.”

Mayo was then asked if he believed Maye was ready for that responsibility.

“100 percent,” Mayo said. “I think he’s ready to run a huddle.”

The Patriots head into the final weekend of the preseason as one of just two NFL teams without a confirmed starting quarterback for Week 1, as noted by Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. The Pittsburgh Steelers, who are deciding between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, also have yet to confirm their starter.

Like in the Wilson-Fields battle, there is an experience gap between the two contenders for the Patriots’ QB1 spot.

Brissett, who backed up Sam Howell with the Washington Commanders last season, enters the battle with eight seasons of NFL experience and 48 career starts under his belt.

Maye, the No. 3 pick of the 2024 draft out of North Carolina, is a relatively unknown quantity in comparison. Mayo has said repeatedly that a strong training camp and preseason have kept the former UNC signal caller in contention for the first-string position nonetheless.

Even if Mayo does name a starter by Monday, the Patriots coach said he might not immediately publicize the decision. Fans might need to wait until even closer to the regular season opener before learning who will be running the huddle in Week 1.