A lot is cooking in the Patriots locker room! And we are probably not saying this out of thin air. While Jacoby Brissett edged out Drake Maye for the starter quarterback role, the rookie got his first taste of NFL action during the final drive of the Week 3 game. And in this fight of experience and young talent, Alex Smith gives the trophy to the old hand!

Since the former NFL player has been there and done that, he believes that rookie players must not be put in difficult situations. It might affect their confidence and even push them towards bad habits. And even though Maye has a big rookie class, he’s just an exception. Talking about Maye, Smith said, “Let the young kid learn, wait until the situation is, is great to play him. And, I love these situations, put them out there. The game, yeah, those, those are good, valuable reps.” And that’s not all!

Patrick Mahomes‘ mentor said, “He’s the young kid. He needs to sit. And Jacoby Brissett is a great guy to learn from.” And while he believes that Drake is a good quarterback, it’s just not the right time to put the burden of expectations on him!

The three-time Pro Bowl receiver even highlighted how it’s important for the Head Coach to understand what’s best for Maye‘s career, defend him in media, and not let him play as the starter QB. Well, isn’t it impressive to have senior players understand the young players’ pain? That is what makes Smith a GOAT! And since we are talking about GOATs, how can we forget to mention the rookie quarterbacks who learned from veterans and made waves in the NFL later?

From Tom Brady to Patrick Mahomes, when these offensive players joined the team, they were just greenhorn rookies. Brady was mentored by Drew Bledsoe in New England, Dak Prescott was coached by Tony Romo in Dallas, and even Patrick Mahomes learned from Alex Smith in Kansas City during his rookie years. To add to that list, Aaron Rodgers was mentored by Brett Favre in Green Bay. And later he mentored Jordan Love.

Well, it’s safe to say the experienced vets shaped these young talents and allowed them to absorb all things NFL in their initial years before they landed on the gridiron! So, can Brissett’s knowledge help Maye become a better version of himself? And who knows, he might have the potential to become the next No. 1 quarterback!

Pats HC Jerod Mayo confirms: “Jacoby Brissett is our QB”

With all the talks going on about the Evil Empire’s QB war, Jerod Mayo broke his silence. As per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, “Jacoby is our quarterback until he is not the quarterback.” The Head Coach even highlighted how the Super Bowl winner played with grit and toughness. However, he also emphasized how the team and coaching staff need to do better.

Mayo surely set the record straight and put an end to the ongoing debate. But here is a kicker! Drake is in no mood to sit up and rest. But why? Well, as per Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith, Maye is rolling up his sleeves to be a starter.

The ACC Offensive Player of the Year said he “will be ready when his name is called” to put his best foot forward. However, even after all the talks, Brissett is cool as a cucumber! And since everyone was talking about the starting position, how could the starter himself back off from talking about it?

Jacoby declared that he “of course” believes he has got what it takes to be the leader. As per Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper, the Pats‘ first African-American starting quarterback is unbothered by all the rumors. He mentioned that he was “not going to overreact to something that he didn’t hear.”

With everything seemingly going Jacoby Brissett’s way, the big question is: can Drake Maye step in and challenge for that starting spot? It’s tough to say right now, but you know in the NFL—things can change in a heartbeat. If Maye impresses when given the chance, anything’s possible! It’s just another day of QB battle and we don’t think that it will end anytime soon.

But, in all this chaos, we have got something fun for you. Watch our latest Think Tank exclusive interview with Doug Sanders. From college football to the current season, Sanders talks about all the fun experiences!