Why Jerod Mayo Handed The Starting Keys Over To Patriots Rookie Drake Maye

There’s never an ideal time to make the change from a veteran to a rookie quarterback.

But on Wednesday morning, 62 points into a 1-4 season, New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo informed the team that Drake Maye will be the starter and Jacoby Brissett will be the backup going forward.

“I would say as a coach, and I know the organization feels this way, we’re trying to win every game,” Mayo told reporters during his press conference at Gillette Stadium. “And at the time, we thought that Jacoby would give us the best opportunity to go out there and win games. Protecting the football, really running the offense. With that being said, he was a warrior. As you guys know, he’s taken a lot of hits and just kept getting up. For a guy like that to be voted as a captain, in this situation, and continue to be very supportive of Drake Maye, I tip my hat to Jacoby for having that egoless mentality.”

From September into October, Brissett completed 58.5% of his passes for 696 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. The 31-year-old team captain was under center for an upset victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in the season opener. Losses to the Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins followed.

Sacked 17 times behind an offensive line that started five different combinations in as many weeks, Brissett had returned to the organization that drafted him on a one-year, $8 million contract in March. The Super Bowl LI champion did so after starting 46 of his 76 appearances elsewhere around the league.

The quarterback of the future joined the depth chart April and signed a four-year, $36.6 million contract in May. Fully guaranteed, the rookie pact includes an option for 2028.

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“Going forward, I think Drake gives us the best chance to win now and going forward,” Mayo said. “He’s been getting better every single week. As I said before, at the end of training camp, he actually was trending at a very high rate. And that has continued through the early part of the season. So, it was solely my decision to make this choice. I had a conversation one-on-one with Jacoby. I had a conversation with Drake. We’re all on board. And I would also say, you know, Jacoby’s a warrior and he took the news very well, like a professional, like you would expect from a guy like that.”

Before being selected No. 3 overall in the 2024 NFL draft, Maye made 26 starts at the University of North Carolina.

The former ACC Player of the Year completed 64.9% of his passes for 8,018 yards with 63 touchdowns and 16 interceptions as a member of the Tar Heels. He added 1,209 yards and 16 touchdowns as a rusher.

“Drake’s a smart guy,” Mayo said. “We saw that throughout the draft process as a far as understanding the offense and the language and just his overall football IQ. I think that continues to improve. And I was actually pleasantly surprised even when he got here. It was never a question of if he’s smart, but I was pleasantly surprised. His work ethic — out of this world, and studying the playbook and trying to get those reps. He continues to get better each and every day. Physically, look, this guy definitely gives us a chance to kind of get some of those off-schedule plays that you guys always see on TV.”

Maye, who turned 22 as the preseason reached the rearview, made his NFL debut with 4:24 remaining last month at MetLife Stadium. He went 4-of-8 passing for 22 yards in relief while scrambling twice and getting sacked twice.

A 4-1 Houston Texans defense standing with 17 sacks as well as a league-low 51.7% completion rate is next on the schedule.

“I would say there’s never a perfect time to make a change,” Mayo added. “Every defense that we play, whether it’s the defensive ends or the defensive tackles, they all have the ability to rush and get after the quarterback. So, I don’t think there’s ever a perfect time.”

Sunday’s kickoff in Foxborough is set for 1 p.m. ET.