How long before Jacoby Brissett suffers a major setback? It’s understandable that he’s brought in to let Drake Maye develop in the background and his leadership is on par with a lot of other greats in the league right now. But while the New England team is doing everything to stay in contention this year, they are putting Brissett’s health at risk.

It started with his preseason shoulder injury and got a bit exacerbated in the regular season as the team’s O-Line started slacking off. Over the last two weeks, Brissett has suffered the second-highest pressure rate (44.3%) in the NFL. The QB took 3 sacks against the Seahawks and was hit on 8 separate occasions, which might put him in jeopardy and make way for Drake Maye.

Jacoby Brissett’s risk-taking attitude will put Drake Maye on the frontlines

Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry discussed the ramifications of Brissett taking constant hits on the Patriots Talk Podcast and what it means for Drake Maye. A few interesting things made the light. “If it keeps up this way, we’re going to see Drake Maye sooner rather than later because Jacoby Brissett is going to get hurt and he’s not going to be able to go.” Curran expressed.

The host further pointed out, “And God willing, when he does suffer whatever malady it’s going to be, it’s minor enough that he’s not waylaid for a big period of time, but it’s coming.” In the game against the Seattle Seahawks, Brissett took a sack from Leonard Williams and was seen limping off the field due to a reported hit to his right knee. However, he pushed through and came out with 15 of his 27 passes completed over 149 yards.

He also added a TD to his stats and didn’t throw a pick. But Phil Perry pointed out something that completely slipped by a lot of folks. “That sack that he took from Leonard Williams, where it was the bear hug from behind and he sort of whipped him to the ground, I don’t know if you saw this or if you noticed this, but it looked like his helmet sort of bounced off the turf and it took him a while to get up and he was sort of hunched over as he walked over to the side.”

Another side to the argument might be the fact that Brissett is doing all he can to avoid turnovers and keeping the ball safe. More so, there’s an added pressure of letting Drake Maye learn and take a backseat this year. That reality may be far from conception because Brissett low key twisted his ankle on one of the sacks. In another instance, he took a hit to the ribs and banged his left shoulder on the ground in the process.

Well, Brissett’s sacrifices got Jerod Mayo’s attention after the game against the Bengals. “He made plays with his legs, he made plays with his arm,” Mayo said. “He’s a tough guy. He took some hits in the game. I’m just like, ‘Man, get up.’ But he did everything we asked him to do.” But how long will this “tough guy” act last? Clearly, the O-Line is not holding their fort and Jerod Mayo is upset about it.

What Jerod Mayo thinks about the Patriots shabby O-Line

On a lot of occasions against the Seahawks, Brissett was forced to scramble to avoid taking nasty hits. Again, case in point, the Leonard Williams sack that happened on the third and 10 play in the third quarter. Two Seahawks’ players easily found their way past the Pats O-Line, leading to a debilitating sack where Brissett was seen in agony as he held his knee for a moment.

“I thought the pass protection was average at best,” Mayo said. “They brought guys from different sides of the field. Even when they rushed four, they were able to get back there to Jacoby. Mayo further pointed out how the running backs and the tight ends also faltered at doing their jobs.

“It doesn’t have to be a sack to affect the passing game. Just bodies around the quarterback affect the passing game. We have to do a better job protecting Jacoby, and that’s on the offensive line, the running backs and the tight ends.” Moreover, it’s important to note that the Pats only had one pass that traveled over 20 yards, further showing off an under-matched O-Line. To add to the problems, the Patriots did not practice on Monday and released an injury report which showed that center David Andrews (hip), offensive guard Sidy Sow (ankle) and offensive tackle Vederian Lowe (knee) didn’t participate in the practice.

Also, two more starters were listed as limited: offensive tackle Mike Onwenu (wrist) and offensive guard Layden Robinson (shoulder). If Brissett suffers a major injury, Drake Maye and the Pats might be done for, but who knows, Maye can make something happen if given a chance. He was great in the preseason, but so was Caleb Williams, who’s having a hard time adjusting in the regular season. It’s needless to say that Brissett might be more efficient if the Pats train their O-Line to be better.

Do you think that Drake Maye will have to start sometime in the future? Let us know in the comments.