Patriots' Jerod Mayo sends message about Jacoby Brissett, Drake Maye situation

First-year New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo knows pockets of fans want rookie quarterback Drake Maye to start over veteran Jacoby Brissett with the club at 1-3. 

Mayo nevertheless insisted while speaking with reporters on Monday that "Jacoby is 100% our starter" heading into this coming Sunday's home game against the Miami Dolphins. 1-2 Miami hosts the 0-3 Tennessee Titans on Monday night. 

"I think the hard part about it -- look, all the fans, you guys here, media -- they want to see the third overall pick play," Mayo said about Maye's status during a Monday appearance on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show," per Sean T. McGuire of NESN. "And I understand the frustration from the fans. I understand the frustration from you guys in here (media). What we’re doing is what we think is best. What I'm doing is what I think is best for the Patriots today and also in the future, and that's how I have to look at these things."

The frustration referenced by Mayo is related to the fact that, according to ESPN stats, the Patriots ended the weekend ranked last in the NFL among clubs that had completed four games with an average of 13.0 points scored per contest this season. As shown by Pro Football Reference, Brissett is ranked 32nd among qualified quarterbacks, with an average of 134.0 passing yards per game. 

With all that said, Patriots legend Rob Gronkowski is among those who have warned that Maye's confidence could be negatively impacted if he routinely takes beatings while playing behind a lackluster offensive line. Karen Guregian of MassLive noted on Monday that Maye starting for a club that surrendered 11 sacks over its past two games "wouldn’t be the best way for the rookie to learn on the job" at this point of his ongoing development. 

Mayo seemingly agrees with Guregian.

"Look, [Brissett's] done a good job doing what we've asked," Mayo said while speaking with reporters on Monday. "Are there a lot of plays we can do a better job with? Absolutely. But I would never question his toughness, dependability and leadership style for this team. That's what we need right now."

That's all well and good, but Mayo could find himself in danger of losing at least some of his players if his offense continues to let the team's defense down with Brissett in the lineup. For what it's worth, Hall of Famer Peyton Manning is among those who think rookie quarterbacks selected with high draft picks, such as Maye, can benefit from learning about life in the NFL "the hard way" as active gameday participants.