BREAKING: Jerod Mayo finally announces Patriots’ starting QB for the 2024 season
The New England Patriots are prioritizing experience over potential to begin the 2024 season.
The Patriots announced Thursday that veteran Jacoby Brissett will start at quarterback in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals. That means rookie and No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye will start his NFL career on the bench.
The decision to start Brissett behind center was first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The Patriots have named Jacoby Brissett the starting quarterback. pic.twitter.com/laGIBFzx6R
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) August 29, 2024
Maye performed well enough during training camp and preseason to keep the competition going until close to the start of the regular season.
According to Chad Graff of The Athletic, the coaching staff “made it clear that Jacoby Brissett was the team’s starter” at the outset of training camp, but “their language changed and they referred to it as a competition” ahead of the final preseason game.
Nonetheless, head coach Jerod Mayo stated “Jacoby is still QB1” prior to the final preseason game, although being more open to it being a “competition” and praising Maye as someone who was “100 percent” ready to lead the offense against NFL opponents.
Brissett suffered a shoulder injury in the preseason game against the Washington Commanders, allowing Maye to play even more, finishing 13-of-20 for 126 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions.
Still, Brissett was finally hired, and he will be entrusted with helping the Patriots recover from two consecutive losing seasons, which prompted a revamping of the quarterback position this offseason.
They agreed to a one-year, $8 million contract with Brissett in March, marking the signal-caller’s fourth different team in four years. He appeared for the Indianapolis Colts in 2020, the Miami Dolphins in 2021, the Cleveland Browns in 2022, and the Washington Commanders in 2023.
In 2016, New England drafted the journeyman in the third round, although he only stayed with the AFC East squad for one season.
The Patriots also traded Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars in March before picking Maye as the franchise quarterback of the future with the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft in April.
Maye was the 2022 ACC Player of the Year at North Carolina, as he completed 66.2 percent of his throws for 4,321 yards, 38 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, including standout performances against Notre Dame and Oregon.
That generated a lot of NFL draft buzz heading into the 2023 season, and he answered by completing 63.3% of his throws for 3,608 yards, 24 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
It was enough to persuade the Patriots to select him so early in the draft, but he will still have to wait to play in a regular-season game.
Brissett, on the other hand, made 11 starts in 16 games for the Browns in 2022 after not making a single start the previous season. He was 4-7 as a starter that year, completing 64% of his passes for 2,608 yards, 12 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
He brings a wealth of experience to the table and is an ideal bridge quarterback until Maye is ready, since he can keep the team afloat but is unlikely to outperform the rookie all season.
