Jacoby Brissett won just one game as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots. Now, we’ll see if he was a better mentor for first-round draft pick Drake Maye.
The Patriots have chosen Maye to start in Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans, as confirmed by coach Jerod Mayo on Wednesday. They hope the rookie can help the team improve its performance after a tough start to the season.
“It’s a winning league and we’re sitting here at 1-4,” Maye said when he stepped in for Brissett during the media availability. “And I think these guys around here want to win.”
Mayo explained that they decided to make the switch in Week 6 instead of waiting until after training camp because, according to the coaches, Maye had outperformed Brissett. The Patriots have lost four straight games, with two of them not being competitive.
“We’re trying to win every game. At the time, we thought that Jacoby would give us the best opportunity to go out there and win games,” Mayo said on Wednesday, a day after the decision was reported.
“Drake gives us the best chance to win now and in the future. He’s been developing. He’s been getting better every single week.”
The Patriots have had quarterback struggles since Tom Brady left for Tampa Bay in 2020. They have tried various veterans, like Cam Newton and Brissett, as well as draft picks like Mac Jones and now Maye.
Maye’s first opponent will be the AFC South-leading Texans (4-1).
“It’s something you dream of, getting your first start in the NFL,” said Maye. He also mentioned, “It’s an opportunity, against a good football team, to go out there and prove people wrong.”
Brissett spent the last eight years with nine different teams, including New England, mostly as a backup. He earned the starting job out of training camp and kept it for five weeks, partly because there was little to gain by putting Maye on the field with a struggling offense and an offensive line that has allowed 19 sacks in five games.
Both Mayo and Maye said Brissett took the news well.
“Jacoby is a warrior,” Mayo said. “He took the news very well, like a professional, like you would expect from a guy like that.”
After winning the opener and going to overtime in Week 2, the Patriots suffered three losses by three scores to the Jets and 49ers and lost 15-10 to Miami, another struggling team, in which they managed just two sustained drives.
Throughout this time, Brissett completed 79 of 135 passes for 696 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception. In the last game, he seemed to connect with Ja’Lynn Polk for the go-ahead touchdown with 62 seconds left; however, replays showed the receiver’s heel landed on the end line.
