Patriots QB Jacoby Brissett Retains Starting Role, Coach Lauds Toughness

Jacoby Brissett will continue to serve as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots, as confirmed by coach Jerod Mayo. This announcement comes shortly after rookie Drake Maye made his NFL debut during a loss to the New York Jets.

“Jacoby is our quarterback until I say he is not the quarterback,” Mayo stated during a press conference. He highlighted Brissett’s toughness and grit shown during the game, emphasizing that despite protection breakdowns, the quarterback did his best to execute the team’s game plan.

Mayo acknowledged the need for improvement across the team and coaching staff. In the game against the Jets, Brissett completed 12 of 18 passes for 98 yards, while Maye took over in the fourth quarter.

In his first regular-season outing, Maye, who was the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and played college football at North Carolina, completed 4 of 8 passes for 22 yards. Brissett, on the other hand, has now completed 42 of 69 passes for 368 yards and one touchdown over three games this season. The Patriots began their season with a victory against the Cincinnati Bengals but have since suffered losses to both the Seattle Seahawks and the Jets.

Throughout the game at MetLife Stadium, Brissett was sacked five times, while Maye faced two sacks. Brissett was named the starting quarterback on August 29 after competing with Maye for the job during training camp and preseason.

During the preseason, Maye showcased his potential by completing 21 of 34 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown. In contrast, Brissett struggled with just 5 completions out of 14 attempts for 36 yards and an interception.

Mayo mentioned that practice reps going forward would favor Brissett, with him receiving approximately 70% of the snaps, while Maye would take the remaining 30%. He expressed hope that Maye’s limited performance against the Jets could serve as a foundation for future growth.

“Jacoby is still our starting quarterback and we’ve just got to be ready to support him,” Mayo remarked. He emphasized that success is a collective effort, noting that it takes all 11 players on offense to perform at their best.

The Patriots’ next challenge will be against the San Francisco 49ers on September 29 in Santa Clara, California. As they prepare for the matchup, the coaching staff will continue to support Brissett while fostering the development of Maye.

As the season progresses, all eyes will be on the relationship between the two quarterbacks and the overall execution of the offense under Mayo’s leadership.

Source: UPI