New England Patriots first-year head coach Jerod Mayo made the call and knows the winner of the quarterback competition between Jacoby Brissett and rookie No. 3 pick Drake Maye.
But he’s not ready to spill the tea.
“I know everyone wants to know that. I’m going to talk to the individual players tomorrow — I’m going to have a team meeting tomorrow — and then I’ll get it to you guys,” Mayo said. “Yes, we’ve made a decision; just haven’t communicated. And honestly, I want those guys to hear it first from me before they hear it from someone else.”
When training camp began, the Patriots identified Brissett, a 31-year-old journeyman with 48 career starts with five NFL teams, as the clear No. 1 on the quarterback depth chart. Mayo lauded his “veteran presence” and quick mastery of the offense.
But Mayo said earlier this week Maye had “outplayed” Brissett before hedging that performance measures weren’t the only factor he’ll consider in a decision that will involve offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, others on the coaching staff and personnel boss Eliot Wolf.
“Look, they’ve gone through the process as well. They’ve gone through the spring with these players, they’ve gone through training camp with these players,” Mayo said. “I’m sure they all have an opinion on who should be the starting quarterback, but I don’t think I have to explain it to anyone else. It’s my decision, and if it doesn’t work, blame me.”
Mayo likely doesn’t want the blame of a setback in Maye’s development. One critical concern evident in training camp was the pass protection on the offensive line.
Maye was 21 of 32 for 192 yards and a touchdown in the preseason, when he totaled seven carries for 32 yards with one touchdown. Brissett was 5 of 14 for 36 yards, threw a red-zone interception and posted a QB rating of 14.6.
Even if Maye begins the season as Brissett’s backup on Sept. 8 at Cincinnati, nothing is set in stone, the New England coach said.
“I would say one thing: I think it’s important to remember, what’s good for the team today may not be good for the team weeks down the line,” Mayo said.
–Field Level Media
