A new era of New England Patriots football begins in earnest on Tuesday. With players reporting to Foxborough, Jerod Mayo's first training camp as head coach is officially underway. And Mayo wasted zero time in separating himself from his predecessor by being open with the media about the most important position battle the franchise has seen in years.
In his opening remarks to reporters at Gillette Stadium, Mayo revealed journeyman Jacoby Brissett will be the starting quarterback heading into camp. Rookie Drake Maye, selected with the third pick in the 2024 NFL draft, will have a chance to unseat Brissett according to Mayo but will begin camp second on the depth chart.
This is not necessarily a surprise. The Patriots have been quite careful when talking about their approach to Maye's first season. At this point it's fairly clear the team believes it would be best for Brissett, who began his career in New England and signed back on in free agency this offseason, to take the reins while Maye watches and learns from the sideline. The Pats hope the North Carolina product is the future of the franchise and want to get him on the field but seem to recognize that throwing him in the deep end right away is not necessarily the best approach.
The decision is made easier because, while he may not be a high-end option, Brissett is a quality starter in the league. He's firmly in the middle tier of quarterbacks who won't lead teams to title contention but are perfectly capable of keeping an offense on schedule and making the occasional big throw. Brissett apparently demonstrated as much during earlier offseason activity, where he received the bulk of snaps with the No. 1 offense.
How long he lasts at the top of the depth chart is another conversation. Maye could unseat him by the time camp is over with a strong string of performances, or if Brissett struggles to start the year. But it does seem the veteran will be given every opportunity, and it'll be on Maye to prove the team wrong.
One of the many fascinating quarterback situations around the NFL to watch as the season approaches.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jerod Mayo Reveals Patriots Starting Quarterback Heading Into Training Camp .
