FOXBORO, Mass. — Jerod Mayo isn’t ruling out the possibility of Drake Maye being the New England Patriots‘ Week 1 starting quarterback, so neither should the fans.
Mayo met with reporters on Tuesday ahead of New England’s first open training camp practice. The first-year head coach spoke on a variety of topics, including the top storyline of the summer: the Patriots’ quarterback competition. Let’s get into everything Mayo said about Maye and Jacoby Brissett.
Jerod Mayo Doubles Down on Jacoby Brissett as Patriots’ Top QB
During the spring, Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt reaffirmed Brissett as New England’s top quarterback. And Mayo sang a similar tune Tuesday morning.
“Coming out of the spring, I don’t think there’s any doubt: Jacoby is the starting quarterback at this point in time,” Mayo said before acknowledging there will be a competition.
“We can look at these other quarterbacks on the roster. … It’s about competition. So, when we get out on the field this summer with the pads on, we’ll see how it all plays out. But, coming out of the spring, I think it’s clear that Jacoby is the most pro-ready guy we have. Played a lot of football.”
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Mayo’s comments weren’t surprising. And though some fans might interpret the “pro-ready” comment as a subtle shot at Maye, the truth is that Mayo simply stated the facts.
Brissett is the most experienced QB on New England’s roster and someone who’s proven he can play winning football in the NFL. His ceiling undoubtedly is lower than Maye’s, but his floor might be higher by the end of camp. Maye is far from a finished product.
Nevertheless, Mayo made it clear that Maye will have an opportunity to win the job.
Mayo Leaves Door Wide Open for Drake Maye
Mayo was asked straight-up whether he could envision Maye winning the starting job, and his answer was more revealing than anything we ever would’ve gotten from Bill Belichick.
“If — and this goes to every position — if (Maye) comes out here and he lights it up … it could absolutely happen,” Mayo said.
” … Coming out of the spring, Jacoby looks like the starting quarterback. With that being said, he’ll have competition. Let’s not forget about even Joe Milton. 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 added: “The goal for Drake is just to get better each and every day. … Once again, if he comes out here and he takes full advantage and lights it up, he could be the Day 1 quarterback. But like I said, coming out of the spring, I think it’s Jacoby.”
Mayo then was asked whether the Patriots are considering putting Maye in a “protective bubble” and forcing him to sit for his rookie season. He said, “Absolutely not,” before referencing Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love, both of whom sat for the Green Bay Packers before breaking out as veterans.
“You’ve seen that work in the past,” Mayo said. “You look at other quarterbacks, the Green Bay quarterbacks. … You look at those situations, and they were able to sit back. There have also been situations when a guy comes right in, right now, and he balls out. We’ll see what happens when we get out on the field.”
So, what does Maye have to do to beat out Brissett? Mayo kept it simple.
“To me, it goes back to the same word: it’s competition,” Mayo said. ” … It’s about, ‘Does this guy go out there and perform better than Jacoby?'”
What About the Patriots’ Other 2 Quarterbacks?
Earlier in the offseason, Mayo said the Patriots planned to trim their QB room from three to four before training camp. However, he shifted gears during the spring, saying he expected New England to begin camp with four quarterbacks.
As of Tuesday, the Patriots had four QBs on the roster: Brissett, Maye, Milton, and Bailey Zappe. Do they plan to release or trade one in the near future?
“Look, it’s always a conversation about, ‘Do we move this person here, do we move that person there?'” Mayo said.
“We’re always going to take the mindset of we’re gonna do what’s best for the organization, and we’re gonna try to get those guys to go out there and get reps so they can compete. I don’t know if that means four or three — honestly, right now, we have four quarterbacks, and those guys will go out there and practice today.”
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Mayo was then asked how players such as Milton and Zappe could get meaningful reps behind Brissett and Maye. He noted there are other ways for quarterbacks to work on their games, including utilizing virtual reality programs.
“We have various walkthroughs and tools that we can use where guys can get these reps,” Mayo said. “And I know it sounds crazy, but even our virtual reality thing … that’s another way that guys are able to steal reps.”
PFN Analysis: When We’ll Know If Patriots’ QB Battle Is for Real
While Mayo on Tuesday was more candid than Belichick would’ve been, he delivered a similar message. Belichick routinely preached the importance of competition and not having any sacred cows, and Mayo likely feels the same way.
What was he supposed to say? That the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft is a total project and has no shot at starting?
In all likelihood, the Patriots’ QB battle won’t ramp up until later in camp. Remember, in 2021, many observers declared Cam Newton the winner after two weeks, only for Mac Jones to later usurp him after a string of excellent joint practices.
However, it’s not just about performance. Maye could play well, but it won’t mean anything if he’s playing exclusively with the second-team offense and against the second-team defense. If the Patriots start giving him more work with the starters, you’ll know the competition is real. At that point, it will be on Maye to seize the opportunity.
That said, it’s worth noting the Patriots will have just one joint practice this summer (against the Philadelphia Eagles). That’s a departure from previous years when Belichick scheduled multiple sessions against multiple teams. Mayo said he wanted to avoid the chippiness that occasionally breaks out during joint practices, among other things.
Still, Jones might not have won the job in 2021 if not for joint practice performances. With just one joint session on the schedule this August, it’s fair to wonder whether Maye will be given the same stage and high-stakes opportunities that Jones leveraged a few years ago.
So, it might be harder for Maye to win the job than it was for Jones in 2021. Maye, though more talented than Jones, isn’t as polished as the latter was as a rookie. There’s more wildness to his game.
But make no mistake: He’ll get a chance to win the job. Just don’t be surprised — or disappointed — if Brissett hangs on.