Jacoby Brissett grateful to be Patriots' starter, while Drake Maye isn't disappointed with QB decision
FOXBORO -- Jerod Mayo finally named a starting quarterback on Thursday, announcing that veteran Jacoby Brissett will be the Patriots' No. 1 QB over Drake Maye. Mayo made it clear that this decision wasn't just for Week 1, and Brissett is viewed as the team's starter for the full 2024 season.
Circumstances could change that decision, but for now, this is Jacoby Brissett's team. Both quarterbacks discussed their roles for the upcoming season Thursday morning shortly after Mayo announced his decision.
Brissett grateful and excited to be Patriots' starting quarterback
While Brissett is heading into his ninth NFL season, this will only be the fourth time that he's been the starter ahead of Week 1. That includes the 2019 campaign in Indianapolis, when Andrew Luck abruptly retired two weeks before the regular season and Brissett took over on short notice.
Brissett has started 48 of the 79 games that he's appeared in since coming into the league as a third-round pick by the Patriots in 2016. He knows that starting games in the NFL is not something anyone should take lightly.
"It's nothing I take for granted, that's for sure," Brissett said Thursday. "It'll probably set in more when y'all leave my locker. I'm excited. Been a lot of long days, long nights in the journey to get to this point. I'm grateful for this opportunity and also excited for it."
The Patriots practiced on Thursday and will now get a long weekend off. They'll return to practice on Monday to continue their preparations for Week 1 in Cincinnati. Brissett is looking forward to that time off before things really ramp up next week.
"I'm preparing for three days off right now to get away from this and then getting back into the swing of it, game-planning for a really good team," Brissett said. "Getting ready for this journey -- getting my mind, body, and soul ready for this journey."
Brissett, Maye will continue to help each other
Brissett is known as a great mentor in the NFL, and he has served that role for Maye throughout the summer. The veteran has a lot on his plate heading into the season as the starter, but he'll continue to help Maye develop any way that he can.
Likewise, Maye will continue to help Brissett and the team however he can.
"We've both done a great job at helping each other out, and that doesn't change now," Brissett said Thursday. "We're working together as far as getting ready to do this together. But the competition is still there, and the helping of each other won't stop."
"I'm still rooting for him and cheering for him," Maye said of Brissett.
Brissett continues to be impressed with Maye's progress, and is excited for the young quarterback's future.
"He's done a great job. Going back to when he first got here to where he is now, it's light years different," said Brissett. "I'm excited for his future. He's going to be a good quarterback in this league. Told me whatever I need, he'll be here for that and I'll be there for him."
Does Drake Maye think he could have done more to earn Patriots' starting job?
While Brissett was unspectacular in his three preseason appearances -- going 5-for-14 with an interception over his 27 snaps -- Maye turned some heads. The rookie replaced Brissett in all three games and got progressively better, finishing his preseason 21-for-34 for 192 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for a score.
He put his best foot forward in the competition, and has no regrets from the summer.
"I think I left it all out there. No regrets coming back," said Maye. "I'm keeping the right mindset. This is the NFL; just going out there and getting even second-team reps, I'm gonna thank God for his blessings."
Maye said that he feels like he had a good camp and has been throwing the ball well. He's going to continue to work hard dissecting every aspect of the playbook while soaking in everything he can from the sideline.
"I'm gonna just keep my head down and keep working," he said.
Maye isn't disappointed and will continue to carry a starter's mindset
Maye is obviously a little bummed that he won't be starting Week 1 in Cincinnati, but he understands Mayo's decision.
"I wouldn't say disappointed. I want to play, but I understand the situation," said Maye. "Jacoby has been in the offense and got the reps with the ones all summer. I can't say I'm disappointed, but I do want to play."
Maye's approach will not change after Thursday's announcement. He is going to continue to work as though he is the team's starter, because he understands that his current role on the team could change in an instant.
"I came into this camp working and studying hard to be the starter, and that won't change. I'm one play away, so I have to be ready for all circumstances," he said.
Brissett knows from experience that backups always need to be ready. He was thrust into action as a rookie in 2016 after Jimmy Garoppolo was injured in Week 2, and started two games for New England before Tom Brady returned from his DeflateGate suspension.
"You have to be ready to go whenever," Brissett said of his advice to the rookie. "My rookie year, Jimmy was starting. I didn't take a rep with the ones and then I'm out there in a game. The standard doesn't change, and I think [Maye is] going to do that. He has no choice, and I'll make sure he does that."
Brissett expresses optimism about Patriots' offensive line
New England's worrisome offensive line likely played into Thursday's decision. There is a lot of risk in sending a rookie out there to play against NFL defenses with a Swiss cheese offensive line. Brissett is essentially getting paid $8 million this year to take a beating and keep Maye safe for the future.
But Brissett doesn't see it that way, and actually expressed some optimism in his offensive line.
"We're all getting better. I'm excited for those guys because they're going to prove a lot of people wrong. When we buy into what we're doing, we play pretty well," he said. "It's about going out there and doing it on a consistent basis and I think those guys are capable of going out and doing it."
Brissett said that he likes the team as a whole and sees a lot of players heading into the season with a chip on their shoulder. The expectations are low outside of One Patriot Place, but Brissett said that is fueling the team to go out and prove their doubters wrong.
"I could care less about [outside expectations]. We are excited to get this thing started," he said. "It's been a long spring and training camp and the last couple of days with this right here. But this group is hungry. It's a 'new era' but the standard in this building doesn't change."