Expectations are not high for the New England Patriots. Head coach Jerod Mayo is certainly under-promising. Could Jacoby Brissett and, eventually, Drake Maye help them over-deliver?
Mayo committed Thursday at least initially to the team’s long-term plans with regard to Maye, the third-overall selection in the 2024 draft, by naming Brissett New England’s starter entering “this season.”
Inquiring minds and Patriots fans want to know, what is Mayo’s definition of “this season?”
“The hard part is thinking in the short term and long term at the same time,” Mayo said. “As an organization, though, we feel like Jacoby gives us our best chance to win right now.”
That chance comes Sept. 8 when New England opens at Cincinnati. As to the chances Maye will start this season, Mayo is certainly not Bill Belichick, but the Patriots remain consistent in avoiding hypotheticals.
“We can’t go into the season saying, ‘Look, he’s going to go X amount of weeks,’” Mayo said. “As long as Jacoby is out there performing the way we all have confidence in him doing, he’ll be our quarterback.”
Mayo said earlier this week that his rookie had outplayed Brissett but, as ESPN beat writer Mike Reiss mentioned, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt already hinted at the decision.
“There’s certain things in this offense that Jacoby, having played in it, understands some of the tools you can use to get out of certain situations, pressure situations,” Van Pelt told Reiss. “Things like that that Drake is still learning. He is pushing.”