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The New England Patriots are starting from scratch at the quarterback position after they selected Drake Maye with the third overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. While the Pats obviously believe Maye is their quarterback of the future, he may not necessarily be their day one starter. That job could be handed to Jacoby Brissett, who was signed in free agency to a one-year deal.
Given how young he is, the Patriots probably would prefer to play it safe with Maye and let Brissett play the 2024 campaign under center before turning things over to him. The team is going to let the two compete for the starting job during training camp, though, and while that hasn’t gotten underway yet, Brissett is already impressed with what he’s seen from Maye during his time in college at UNC.
“He’s got a lot of talent. He can make all the throws. He wants to learn football. He wants to get better. That’s what you want. Not only in your quarterback but anybody on the team. I’m excited to work with him. He’s 21. I was 23 – I remember that when I was following Tom around anywhere I (could) learn. He’s already texting me about plays, how do I think about this and cadence and stuff like that. The little nuances of being in this position.” – Jacoby Brissett, MassLive
Jacoby Brissett looking to be a mentor for Drake Maye
Brissett knows what it’s like to be an up-and-coming quarterback in the NFL, as he experienced a somewhat similar transition to the league as Maye. While he didn’t have the hype Maye has surrounding him since he was a third-round pick back in the 2016 NFL Draft, he was initially drafted by New England, so that familiarity should allow Brissett to lend Maye a helping hand.
Even though he signed with the Pats in free agency, Brissett understands the situation he has become a part of. While he wants to be on the field, he understands that Maye is their quarterback of the future. Brissett’s job is to help him out any way he can, even as he potentially begins the season as the team’s Week 1 starter.
While the two haven’t really worked together to this point, Brissett is effusive in his praise for Maye here. He’s obviously seen him play in college, and his tape is quite dazzling, which is why he was drafted by New England in the first place. He’s still a bit raw as a prospect, which is why providing him with a veteran mentor in Brissett was one of the front office’s biggest goals in free agency this offseason.
Throwing Maye into the fire right away probably isn’t the best idea, but New England is going to do their best to be extra careful with him after their Mac Jones experiment went up in flames. It looks like Brissett is already fired up to be working with Maye, regardless of the competition they are set to have on their hands, and that is precisely what the Patriots and their fans want to see.
More must-reads:
- An optimist's guide to the 2024 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- An optimist's guide to the 2024 New Orleans Saints
- The 'Recent seasons with 1,000 receiving yards' quiz
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