Patriots HC's Camp Remarks Seem to Point in One QB Direction

Jerod Mayo gave some interesting intel surrounding the New England Patriots' QB room.

May 11, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo arrives at the practice fields at the New England Patriots rookie camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Patriots finally kick off their long-awaited 2024 training camp this week after a long offseason is beginning to come to a close. For this team, several changes have been enacted over the past few months to their player and coaching personnel, setting the scene for what could be a squad that looks radically different in their upcoming campaign.

While the shift from Bill Belichick to Jerod Mayo is among the most prominent adjustments for New England across the next season, another will be centered on the quarterback position.

This roster made a factory reset on their QB room this offseason by signing Jacoby Brissett, along with drafting Drake Maye and Joe Milton in April. Still, the question remains on who will be the starter to open week one of the season.

However, on Tuesday, Coach Mayo provided some telling info during his opening camp presser about what he and the Patriots staff see within their QB room. As of now, it seems that Brissett has secured the QB1 role, with the rest of the crowd trailing behind him:

"Coming out of the spring, I don't think there's any doubt. Jacoby is the starting quarterback at this point in time. I mean, we can look at these other quarterbacks on the roster. At the same time, it's about competition. So, when we get out on the field this summer with the pads on, we'll see how it all plays out. Coming out of the spring, I think it's clear that Jacoby is the most pro-ready guy we have-- he's played a lot of football."

- Jerod Mayo during Tuesday's presser

Brissett was brought on board to the Patriots this spring after spending one year with the Washington Commanders, and will now seek to be the starting QB back where it all started.

Of course, Maye is and will be the future of this franchise under center as this year's third-overall pick, yet it will probably take some time before he's completely prepared to handle the reigns of this New England offense. Brissett, rather, is a tested, experienced option that has been a starting QB in the building before and gives the Patriots a much better sense of security at the position.

In due time, Maye will be the one handle this offense, but he's still a 21-year-old rookie with limited college experience. He has the tools to hone into an elite NFL quarterback, but even with those outstanding physical skills, there's still some work to be done, such as his footwork, decision-making, and consistency.

Brissett should still be fully capable of handling the QB1 duties if he holds that spot down through camp. The last time he started the season off as a starter, he led the Cleveland Browns with 2,608 passing yards, a 64.0% completion rate, 12 TDs, and six INTs. He provides a much better outlook than what the Patriots had during their previous season, hopefully generating an immensely improved offense in 2024.

Regardless, still keep an eye on Maye and his performance leading up to the season as he has the opportunity to sneak up and grab that starting gig with some standout showings in camp/pre-season.

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