Patriots HC Jerod Mayo Says Drake Maye Has ‘Outplayed’ Jacoby Brissett in Starting QB Battle

Drake Maye might have solidified his case to be named the New England Patriots starting quarterback after his performance on Sunday night.

After Jacoby Brissett injured his shoulder on the opening series of the game, Maye came in and led the Patriots on a touchdown drive. The No. 3 overall pick showed off his playmaking ability as he scrambled for 17 yards on 3rd-and-14 to earn a first down. He completed five of six passes on the drive, capping it off with an 18-yard touchdown throw to Kevin Harris.

Maye finished the game 13-for-20 for 126 yards and one touchdown. He made his best play on a pass that didn’t count, completing a 48-yard touchdown throw across his body and on the run to K.J. Osborn.

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On Monday, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said that Maye had outplayed Jacoby Brissett through this point of the preseason, but that there are other factors to determine which quarterback will start.

“This is a true competition, and I would say at this current point, Drake has outplayed Jacoby,” Mayo said Monday on WEEI’s ‘The Greg Hill Show.’ “Now in saying that, we have to take in the full body of work, going all the way back to the spring and 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.”

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Brissett was expected to start for the Patriots over Maye heading into training camp, but Maye’s play has turned this into a true position battle. Brissett has started each preseason game, but Mayo said that they have not named a starter and will do so at some point this week.

“It starts in practice and also in the game, where Drake has played better,” Mayo said, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “In saying that, everyone wants to know who the starter is going to be. There are multiple factors that have to go into this decision. One is the total body of work, whether we’re talking about the spring or the entirety of training camp. And I would also say, oftentimes we forget about the overall experience that a guy like Jacoby has, which will also be weighted in the decision.”

Mayo added: “I’m happy with the way those guys are battling it out. Hopefully over the next couple days, we can name a starter and get the season rolling.”

If Maye were to win the starting job out of the gate, he would become the fourth rookie quarterback in this year’s draft class to become the starter. Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams, Washington Commanders’ Jayden Daniels, and Denver Broncos’ Bo Nix have each already earned the starting position for their team.

The Patriots open their season on Sep. 8 at the Cincinnati Bengals.

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