After watching their bet on Mac Jones go up in smoke in a year and a half, the Patriots have intentionally crafted a bridge-to-future scenario under center entering this season. Maye is the hopeful long-term answer at quarterback, while veteran Jacoby Brissett has returned to where his career began to be the adult in the quarterback room. As rookie Patriots coach Jerod Mayo embarks on his first training camp as the top whistle-wearer, he’s going to follow that plan until Maye forces him to consider alternatives.
“Coming out of the spring, I don’t think there’s any doubt, Jacoby is the starting quarterback at this point and time,” Mayo said Tuesday of the quarterback depth chart. “We can look at these other quarterbacks on the roster, at the same time it’s about competition. When we get out on the field this summer with the pads on we’ll see how it all plays out. But coming out of the spring, I think it’s clear that Jacoby is the most pro-ready guy we have.”
With 48 career starts over his eight NFL seasons, Brissett is certainly the most professional of the Patriots’ existing quarterbacks. He’s not expected to be Tom Brady, though; much like Brissett did for Cleveland in place of Deshaun Watson in 2022, he’ll simply need to keep the ship steady.
“Obviously that’s the ultimate goal,” Brissett said of currently being the team’s top QB. “Obviously [I] don’t take things like that lightly. I understand this league and I understand how every day is a challenge, every day is a competition, and I look forward to that. I feed off that. Looking to go out there and prove it every day.”
That’s the role of a plus-backup-turned-starter: Step in when they’re in need, and don’t commit crushing errors. It’s what Gardner Minshew did in Indianapolis last season, and likely what Brissett could have done for Washington in 2023, had he been afforded an opportunity before the final weeks of the season.
