Drake Maye was the New England Patriots’ most exciting quarterback this preseason. But according to head coach Jerod Mayo, he wasn’t the best.
So Maye, the rookie selected with the Patriots’ highest draft pick since Drew Bledsoe came to Foxborough, won’t be starting Week 1’s tilt against the Cincinnati Bengals. Instead, the honor will go to Jacoby Brissett, the journeyman quarterback signed this offseason for exactly this reason.
At its face, Mayo’s declaration Maye was “our second-best quarterback on our roster right now,” was complicated and, based on preseason game performance, not exactly accurate. The first-year passer added a new dimension to New England’s passing game, bringing a freewheeling downfield attack the Pats have rarely seen since Tom Brady moved to Tampa Bay.
This touchdown was negated by (ANOTHER) penalty on Okorafor, but what. a. throw by Drake Maye pic.twitter.com/gPxLgkY0fT
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) August 26, 2024
But there’s more to it than sheer excitement. Brissett is a polished stone; a player who has been tumbled smooth by more than a decade of NFL work and who has worn down his inconsistencies to mere nubs. New England settled on him this offseason because he rarely makes back-breaking mistakes.
Maye, on the other hand, is an uncut gem. In the wrong hands, he can have his luster dulled and never quite find his shine. And this offensive line — the same one that allowed Brissett to be knocked out of the Pats’ preseason finale with a shoulder injury — has all the skill of a prison chain gang when it comes to carving rock.
Here’s the play that hurt Patriots QB Jacoby Brissett: pic.twitter.com/DcraKZpkjV
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 26, 2024
That’s the risk Mayo doesn’t want to take. Good prospects can be derailed by poor supporting casts. Leave Maye in a situation where he’s protected by guys like Vederian Lowe, Caedan Wallace and Layden Robinson — all capable of solid performances but thus far relative unknowns — and he’s liable to develop the kind of bad habits that derail a career. Think David Carr with the first-year Houston Texans or Blake Bortles’ starting his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Factor in a similarly underwhelming receiving corps and it’s possible only the league’s best quarterbacks could thrive with this 2024 Patriots roster.
So it makes sense Mayo opted for a high floor, low(ish) ceiling player in Brissett over the wild variance of a rookie quarterback. The Patriots can take comfort in the fact that, while not super exciting (51 touchdown passes in 48 NFL starts), their veteran quarterback is a stable, calming presence who plays efficient football. 39 passers have played at least 1,000 regular season snaps since 2019. Brissett’s 0.096 expected points added (EPA) per play only ranks 23rd, but it’s still significantly better than Mac Jones’ 0.032 in the same span.
If Brissett gets hammered behind that line with a receiving corps that struggles to get open, it may ruin New England’s 2024. If Maye gets hammered behind that line with a receiving corps that struggles to get open, it may ruin New England’s next three seasons and beyond. Mayo assessed his risk, understood the exact reason Brissett was on his roster and opted for the safe bet.
And if Maye looks undeniable on the practice field, he can always change his mind.