New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett is not taking the competition lightly.
Brissett might be the favorite to start in Week 1 on paper, but he knows he’s facing a legitimate quarterback competition with rookie Drake Maye biting at his heels.
Brissett has plenty of experience with 48 starts under his belt and 79 games under center. That includes starting in all of his 15 appearances with the Indianapolis Colts in 2019, as well as taking over the starting role for the Cleveland Browns in 2022 with Alex Van Pelt serving as his offensive coordinator. He started in 11 games that year during Deshaun Watson’s suspension.
Despite Mayo proclaiming him as the No. 1 quarterback, Brissett made it clear he is not taking his opportunity with the Patriots lightly.
“Obviously, that’s the ultimate goal. Obviously, you don’t take things like that lightly,” Brissett said when speaking with the media, per the Patriots. “I understand this league, and I understand how every day is a challenge and a competition, and I look forward to that and I feed off that. Looking to go out there and prove it every day.”
This is a solid mindset for Brissett to have in training camp, especially with a rookie watching and waiting in the wings.
It’s precisely why New England signed him in March, as they were presumably looking to develop a rookie quarterback. For Brissett, it’s all about working hard and earning the starting job from what he does on the practice field.