Foxborough finally got their new quarterback! After a couple of tests, head coach Jerod Mayo, last week, revealed that the New England Patriots are going with Jacoby Brissett as the team’s starter. It is likely also because “they don’t want the nine-year veteran to feel new QB Drake Maye nipping at his heels,” despite Maye showing tremendous competition and improvement in their final preseason game. But is Mayo sure about Brissett?

Well, in a recent press conference, Jerod Mayo reiterated it once again. However, this time, he looked more confident in his stance. In the video shared by Patriots’ reporter, Taylor Kyles on X, Mayo is asked “whether the #Patriots ever seriously considered starting Drake Maye Week 1.” To this, the HC replied, “No, we always, you know, we kept saying competition competition, that is something that truly and it was a little competition and obviously came down below to a few days for the celebrations that’s happening now.”

Mayo believed that despite the competition, the 31-year-old QB complements the current team dynamics. He said, “Once again I just feel like me personally as a head coach is that Jacoby Brissett gives us our best chance.” Wow! Which quarterback would not like the kind of faith that Mayo has for Brissett? However, this isn’t the first time he has made a statement for Brissett like that.

Earlier too, on August 29, while speaking to the reporters during a news conference at Gillette Stadium, the HC said, “As an organization, we are 100 percent behind Jacoby, there is no ‘you’ve got a guy right here, you’ve got a guy right there.”

In addition to that, being a head coach, Mayo also talked about it with his quarterbacks, Maye and Brissett separately, saying, “We’re 100 percent behind Jacoby. I had an opportunity to talk to Drake, I had an opportunity to talk to Jacoby separately and also together and I feel like we’re all on the same page from an organizational perspective.”

So, this means, it’s now final that Brissett will lead the Patriots as they cash against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 at Paycor Stadium on Sunday, September 8. The 2016 overall No.91 pick has played 8 seasons for 5 teams, in which he “has thrown for 10,574 yards and 51 touchdowns.” Now, this also brings everyone down to the question: Will Drake Maye not get his chances in the future? To which, the coach also has an answer!

Drake Maye will take the role of Jacoby Brissett only on one condition!

Drake Maye is waiting for an opportunity, and he will get it only on one condition. And that condition is what we all have already seen in the preseason final. Yes! If Jacoby Brissett is injured, Maye will surely get his chance.

According to the head coach, Jerod Mayo, “When we talk about developing a guy like Drake Maye, that is a continuous process. If Jacoby was to get injured in the first week, 1,000% Drake (Maye) would be the next guy in as the No. 2 quarterback on our roster.” But as he said they will be developing Maye for the future, the question is how? The answer is simple. Maye will step in as the scout-team quarterback to mimic the opposing team’s quarterback. In this way, he will support Brissett as well as continue to hone his skills for the future.

Besides that, Maye has already “outplayed” Brissett in the last preseason game. He has shown his improvement by working hard on play-action schemes, especially when dropping back from under center. One moment that really stood out was his 29-yard pass to Ja’Lynn Polk.

In that play, Maye planted his feet, strong and steady, then smoothly stepped up in the pocket to dodge the pressure. That throw was perfect, or to be precise – almost effortless. So, if he keeps delivering like that, it’s likely that he will master the entire playbook in no time. And when that happens, we’ll see him on the field a lot sooner.