FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Before training camp, Jerod Mayo sent an unambiguous message about the New England Patriots‘ quarterback competition.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt — Jacoby [Brissett] is the starting quarterback at this point in time,” the first-year head coach said in late July.
Fast forward to Monday morning and Mayo is going on WEEI and saying, “We don’t have a starting quarterback right now.”
So, what changed? Has anything really changed?
Well, not really. Despite Mayo seemingly giving Patriots fans hope that Drake Maye could be the Week 1 starter, his managing of the QB reps in practice tells a very different story. And, if you look at what Mayo’s said throughout camp, he hasn’t changed his tune on the quarterback competition at all.
Looking Back at Jerod Mayo’s Comments on Drake Maye-Jacoby Brissett Competition
Mayo really hasn’t moved on New England’s QB battle — not publicly, anyway. All that’s changed is the circumstances surrounding his semi-regular media availabilities, most notably Maye’s recent improvement — which followed a prolonged stretch of underwhelming practices — and Brissett’s slight downturn.
It’s easy to focus on Mayo labeling Brissett the “starting quarterback” on July 23. It’s easy to pluck that quote, put it next to more recent comments, and infer that momentum is behind Maye.
However, minutes later in that same press conference, Mayo delivered the only quote that matters.
“Look, if [Maye] — and this goes to any position — if he comes out here and he lights it up … it could absolutely happen,” Mayo said on Maye’s chances of beating out Brissett. Coming out of the spring, Jacoby looks like the starting quarterback.
“Now with that being said, he’ll have competition. Let’s not forget about even Joe Milton III; let’s not forget about [Bailey] Zappe. All those guys will have opportunities to go out there and be the starting quarterback in Week 1.”
Mayo is undeniably more candid and direct than his predecessor, Bill Belichick. But that remark, at its core, was pulled from the Belichick media handbook.
Belichick always said no jobs were guaranteed and that all players had to prove themselves on the practice field. And he always highlighted long shots rather than focusing solely on players who generated the most headlines.
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Mayo did the same thing, right down to suggesting Milton or Zappe could win the job — which he knew wasn’t realistic. He said it was an open competition then, and he’s saying the same thing now.
Immediately after the Aug. 15 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles: “We always talk about competition, and that’s at all spots. So even if Drake beats out Jacoby, I mean, he earned that role. … When he’s ready to go, and if he’s better than Jacoby, then he’ll play; he’ll start.”
The morning after the Eagles loss: “We have three more days of training camp practices, and it’s our job as coaches to evaluate. The competition isn’t over. They’re still going to go out there, and they have to show not only themselves and their coaches but also their teammates. So, it’s definitely still a competition.”
Monday morning on WEEI: “We still have our preseason game against Washington. And once again, we don’t have a starting quarterback right now. When it’s time, we’ll announce that. But [Maye] could absolutely be QB1; so could Jacoby. So we just got to see how it plays out.”
It would be one thing if Mayo closed the door on a QB competition in July, held that line through two weeks of camp, and then opened the door after watching Maye break out against Philadelphia.
But that’s not what’s happened. Mayo started camp by saying Maye had a shot, and he repeated himself moments before the final training camp practice.
Maybe the Patriots’ QB competition is getting closer; maybe it isn’t. You could make arguments either way. But what you can’t do is use Mayo’s comments as the basis for any takes about Maye pushing Brissett for the Week 1 job. He’s been consistent in saying there’s an open competition.
That still begs the question: Has he been telling the truth?
Is Maye Really Gaining Ground on Brissett?
Only Mayo knows the answer, but I lean “no” — and the evidence is on the practice field.
Before camp, in that same July 23 presser, Mayo said Brissett was the most “pro-ready” quarterback on New England’s roster. Brissett has justified that take in practice, and Mayo’s rewarded him with a starter’s workload throughout camp.
Maye outperformed Brissett against the Eagles and in the two ensuing practices. He’s played more confidently than we saw at any point before the Eagles game. If nothing else, Maye finally is showing glimpses of why the Patriots made him the No. 3 overall pick. Brissett, on the other hand, is coming off back-to-back preseason duds.
But none of that changes the fact that Brissett has been the more consistent quarterback throughout camp, especially during situational team drills. That trend continued Monday, when Brissett’s offense, not Maye’s, scored points during a one-minute drill. Brissett’s been the cleaner QB during those periods, and it hasn’t been close.
From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: The #Patriots haven't made a QB decision yet, as Drake Maye continues to improve. pic.twitter.com/jXkgm4oF98
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 19, 2024
It’s not just about the performance though.
Maye repped with most of the top line for one series in the preseason opener and did the same against the Eagles. He also repped with projected O-line starters at various points in the last three practices, including Mike Onwenu, Sidy Sow, Chukwuma Okorafor, and Vederian Lowe.
However, as of this writing, Maye hadn’t taken a single competitive rep with David Andrews at center — which is the real barometer of the QB competition. Maye did take snaps from Andrews during a non-padded two-minute jogthrough on Saturday, but that doesn’t count. For all intents and purposes, he still hasn’t played with the full starting O-line.
That matters, and Mayo will tell you all about it.
After the Carolina Panthers game, Mayo was asked whether Maye would soon see reps with the top O-line. “When he’s ready to go, we’ll put him there,” Mayo said.
They still haven’t put him in there.
Mayo also was asked whether Maye’s reps against the Panthers were limited to avoid playing him behind the second O-line.
“That’s always a consideration,” Mayo said. “If he’s in there, you want him in there with the starting offensive line.”
Again, they still haven’t put him in there with the full starting O-line.
Then there was Monday morning when Mayo was asked how important it is for Maye to get comfortable with starters before the Patriots can decide whether he’s ready to start.
“It’s very important for him to continue to build that confidence with that group,” Mayo said. “Not only the offensive line but also the receivers. So, it is important.”
Maye has seen increased reps with other offensive starters but not nearly as many as Brissett. Mayo repeatedly says it’s important for Maye to play with the top offensive personnel, yet Maye continues to run the second unit during practice. That tells you all you need to know about this QB competition.
Finally, let’s look at arguably the most revealing excerpt from Mayo’s WEEI appearance.
“I would say Jacoby has played in this league for a long time,” Mayo said when asked why Brissett still is repping as the starter. “And he has really earned the right, and I would say earned the respect of his teammates, and also the coaches, to go out there and move the ball.
“Now in saying that, we came into this season, like right after we drafted Drake at [No.] 3, with a plan. A development plan. And so sometimes I feel like — not that people are talking out of both sides of their mouths, but, you know, we talk about how he’s developed here during training camp, but also, ‘Why isn’t he playing?’
“And so … we’re going to stick to the plan. It may not be a popular plan, but we’re doing what we think is right for the organization — not only in the near term but also the long term.”
That sure sounds like a coach who expects Brissett to start and wants to manage expectations for Maye, who still is a very raw prospect. Maye entered the summer as a prime candidate for a redshirt season, and six completions against the Eagles and a few good practices aren’t enough to change that.
Of course, there still is some time left until the season opener, and things can change. And Mayo saying there’s an open competition is noteworthy.
“We have another preseason game, and then a week after that,” Mayo said on his deadline for naming a starter. “When I know, I’ll let you know.”
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That’s a fun quote, and it makes for good talk radio. But it also reads like another misdirection.
After watching two preseason games and 17 Patriots practices, it’s hard to shake the feeling that Mayo and Company made their minds up long ago.
Brissett Still Believes He’s the Starter
So, how does Brissett feel about all of this?
The veteran quarterback has presented himself as the starter since the start of camp, and he doubled down after Monday’s practice.
“I still treat myself as if I am the starter,” Brissett said when asked about Mayo’s comments on the QB competition.
Brissett, who earlier in camp said he’s the “perfect” option both to mentor Maye and to start Week 1, acknowledged his rookie teammate is making strides.
“He’s definitely progressing, doing a good job,” Brissett said of Maye. “He’s picking it up and doing a good job.”
LIVE: Jacoby Brissett Press Conference 8/19: https://t.co/Nxm7OFCsXA
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) August 19, 2024
Brissett knows the fan base wants Maye to start. And he knows national and local coverage will focus on Maye and his development. But the 31-year-old is keeping things in the proper perspective.
“I can’t worry about that,” Brissett said. “I just go out there and do my job, and I’ve been in this league long enough to know a lot of crazy things have happened in my career, and I wouldn’t be shocked by anything.
“But at the same time, I’m enjoying this process, putting my best foot forward and letting the chips fall where they may.”
The chips likely will fall in Brissett’s favor, and if he ultimately lands the starting job, he’ll have earned it. But Maye is on the rise, and the wait to see him starting games for the Patriots might not be as long as initially expected.
