Patriots HC on QB Drake Maye: 'Now, he's competing' to be starter

The Drake Maye era for the New England Patriots may not begin as early as fans would like, but it sure sounds like it's not too far off.

Patriots coach Jerod Mayo spoke with Scott Zolak of 98.5 The Sports Hub before the team's preseason finale against the Washington Commanders and had plenty to say about Maye. Specifically, Mayo highlighted that he believes the rookie quarterback has gone from deferring and trying to "be a good teammate" to competing for the starting job.

 Via ESPN's Mike Reiss:

"I think early on he was trying to defer and just be a good teammate," Mayo said. "Now, he's competing to be the starting quarterback; he's really kind of ramped up his preparation and production on the field."

While it's an interesting comment from Mayo, the Patriots' plan to start Jacoby Brissett remains in place with Week 1 on the horizon. However, Sunday's game may have thrown a wrench into that plan, as Brissett suffered a shoulder injury and left the game.

The severity of Brissett's injury is unknown, though Mayo relayed that Brissett "said he was good." As long as he's cleared and healthy for Week 1, fans should expect to see him under center. 

But it's hard not to like what Maye put on display against Washington, completing 13-of-20 passes for 126 yards and one touchdown.

The timeline for Maye's potential leap to QB1 could depend on the team's performance throughout the season's early stages and Brissett's play. Don't be surprised if there's pressure on Mayo to move to Maye very early in the 2024 NFL season.

How Mayo opts to go about that decision should the Patriots struggle could quickly become a popular topic of conversation.