The New England Patriots seem intent on using every bit of time they have to decide on a starting quarterback for Week 1, but head coach Jerod Mayo may have dropped a big hint about where things stand.
Jacoby Brissett started New England’s preseason finale against the Washington Commanders at Commanders Field in Landover, Md., on Sunday night. The veteran suffered a shoulder injury early in the game, and his status going forward is not yet clear.
During his Monday morning appearance on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show,” Mayo was asked if he knows which quarterback won the training competition between Maye and Brissett. Mayo said no final decision has been made but acknowledged that “Drake has outplayed Jacoby.”
“We got in at 4 o’clock this morning; Jacoby may come in here today and say his shoulder is no good. So I’m not going to get too far down the road on if Jacoby could play or couldn’t play,” Mayo said. “What I will say is this is a true competition and I would say at this current point, Drake has outplayed Jacoby. Now in saying that, we have to take in the full body of work, going all the way back to the spring and the beginning of training camp. And we’ll see where we end up. But those are the conversations that will happen here over the next couple of days.”
Jerod Mayo, to @TheGregHillShow, on Jacoby Brissett vs. Drake Maye: pic.twitter.com/voKRpT2Dj2
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) August 26, 2024
Mayo has sent some mixed signals, however. Following Sunday night’s game, the first-year coach said he needs to “watch the film” before even determining whether Maye would start if Brissett is sidelined with an injury.
Jerod Mayo on if the #Patriots would start Drake Maye if Jacoby Brissett was injured:
"I would like to sit here and say 100%; he's our second-best quarterback on our roster right now….I'm not sure until I watch the film."
(: @Patriots) pic.twitter.com/wPT66qBkEe
— New England Sports Fellow (@NESportsFellow) August 26, 2024
Maye finished 13/20 for 126 yards and a touchdown against Washington. He even made one nifty play that may have earned him a new nickname.
One of the big problems for the Patriots is that their offensive line has looked terrible, which is part of the reason Brissett got hurt on Sunday. It is risky enough to start a rookie in Week 1, let alone put one behind an offensive line that can’t keep him upright. That will also factor into the Patriots’ decision, which will likely be announced at some point this week.
