Patriots giving Drake Maye chance to compete for QB1 job

Even before the Patriots pulled the trigger on Drake Maye with the third-overall pick, it was assumed that free agent acquisition Jacoby Brissett would keep the seat warm for most, if not all, of the 2024 campaign. 

However, it sounds like the organization is willing to give its rookie quarterback every chance to compete for the starting job.

While speaking with reporters this week, head coach Jerod Mayo acknowledged that the team hasn’t made a decision on its Week 1 quarterback starter.

“Look, Jacoby understands, he’s a mentor,” Mayo said, via NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe. “He’s very smart, has great leadership skills, and hopefully Drake can learn something from him, as well. I would say we’re going to compete all spring, we’re going to compete during training camp, and the best player will start.”

After moving on from three-year starter Mac Jones, the Patriots scooped up old friend Brissett via free agency. The veteran would never be confused with a top-end quarterback, leading many to rightfully assume that the organization was going to select a QB at No. 3.

However, Brissett has shown that he can be competent when given the opportunity to start; he went 7-8 as a full-time starter for the Colts in 2019, and he’s since gone 6-10 in stints with the Dolphins and Browns. Considering that performance as a fill-in, Brissett has earned a reputation as one of the league’s premier backup QBs.

As Wolfe notes, many scouts were critical of Maye’s “inconsistency in accuracy and overall NFL readiness,” leading many to believe that the veteran would be the QB1 until his younger teammate was ready to go. That could still end up being the case, but following New England’s worst showing in decades, there’s a chance that Robert Kraft and co. want some enthusiasm surrounding their squad and request that Maye leads the depth chart.

The Patriots found themselves in a similar situation back in 2021. That season, Jones was expected to temporarily take a back seat to 2020 starter Cam Newton, but the rookie ended up winning the job in the preseason. 

While Brissett will surely be sticking around regardless of this current outcome (Newton was ultimately cut), there’s a chance the Patriots immediately start their first-round QB for the second time in a post-Tom Brady era.