Jacoby Brissett keeping a starter mindset with Patriots' QB competition heating up
FOXBORO -- The quarterback competition in New England is heating up as the preseason winds down. But veteran Jacoby Brissett is keeping the same mindset that he's carried all summer, even as rookie Drake Maye has made strides to close the gap between himself and the team's projected starter.
Brissett has struggled in his brief preseason appearances, while Maye turned some heads with a solid performance last Thursday night against the Eagles. He took what the Philadelphia defense was giving him and made smart reads to lead a pair or scoring drive in the first half. And when Maye did rear back and let it fly, he delivered a beautiful deep ball that fellow rookie Javon Baker couldn't bring in.
That throw was the "wow" play that New Englanders have wanted to see out of Maye. That glimpse has fans feeling better about the future, but now many want it to become the present of Patriots football.
Maye's performance last week, followed by some strong days of practice over the weekend, have head coach Jerod Mayo pumping up the QB competition in Foxboro. While he said that Brissett was the team's starter when camp initially got underway, Mayo said Monday that he isn't sure who will be the team's Week 1 starter in Cincinnati. With the rookie making strides and closing the gap, Mayo is now keeping the door open for Maye to win the job.
"He's definitely progressing, doing a good job," Brissett said of Maye during his chat with reporters following Monday's practice. "He's picking it up and doing a good job."
While Maye is now in a position to compete for the top job, Brissett remains the first quarterback to take snaps on the practice field. And even though Mayo has changed his tune on his quarterbacks, Brissett isn't changing his approach on the practice field or in the locker room.
"I still treat myself as if I am the starter," Brissett told reporters after Monday's practice.
A veteran of eight NFL seasons, Brissett has seen just about everything since he came into the league as a third-round pick by the Patriots in 2016. He's been a starter, a backup, and a third-stringer, and understands that he just needs to focus on being the best quarterback he can be each and every day.
So even as the QB chatter gets louder around him, Brissett continues to tune it out.
"I can't worry about that," he said. "I just go out there and do my job. I've been in this league long enough to know -- a lot of crazy things have happened in my career and I wouldn't be shocked by anything. But at the same time I'm enjoying this process, putting my best foot forward and letting the chips fall where they may."
Brissett won't let the competition get in the way of playing mentor for Maye, either. And it isn't just about the third-overall pick, as Brissett is also always open and willing to help Bailey Zappe and rookie Joe Milton in the quarterback room.
Whether he finishes the summer as the starter or not, Brissett is going to continue to put his best foot forward for the New England Patriots. He said Monday that a strong finish to the preseason is his best way of securing the spot atop the QB depth chart.
"Every day I come out here, I'm trying to do my best," said Brissett. "It doesn't matter if it was Day 1 or Day 39, I'm still trying to go out there and to my best. I don't really worry about the competition; I'm more just worried about myself and just being a good teammate."