The Patriots’ decision to name Jacoby Brissett the team’s starting quarterback for the 2024 season was met with a range of reactions, from complete agreement and understanding to confusion and frustration that rookie Drake Maye had to remain on the bench after his impressive preseason.
It’s been a topic of conversation since Jerod Mayo announced it last week and continues to be discussed daily online and in the media. It will likely remain that way until Maye is used in a game, whether because Brissett failed on the field or because the Patriots planned from the start to get him playing time at some point during the season, as the current rumor suggests.
When that will be, however, is still unclear and Mayo’s recent comments to the media on Wednesday certainly did not help his decision to select Brissett.
Many former players have advocated for rookie quarterbacks to sit behind a veteran in their first season, and even Tom Brady advocated it when talking about the Class of 2024. There are many benefits for a young signal caller to learn the NFL from the bench and work with the starting quarterback, something Brady knows firsthand.
There are numerous examples of how well it has worked in the past, which is why Mayo’s statement is causing an uproar among fans. It seems to contradict his decision.
When asked about the task of developing young players, which includes Maye, Mayo responded with a phrase he has repeated since becoming head coach of the Patriots earlier this season: “Playing football makes you better at football.“
This immediately drew fierce opposition from fans online for his decision to keep Maye on the bench. However, Mayo’s logic is that the only way the quarterback can get better is by playing, which is not possible from the sidelines.
In general, the head coach is not wrong, and it is important for players to get better through playing experience. While that doesn’t seem to be the immediate plan for the rookie quarterback, Mayo has said that Maye will be around regular players at practice this season, so it seems clear that they still plan to give him more chances than many in his position would normally get.
This may not be real game experience, but playing with the starting offense and against the starting defense in practice is better than just working with the second team.
We’ll have to wait and see how exactly that works and how much time they really dedicate to Maye with the regular players until the next game, but hopefully they’ll keep their word and give him the opportunity to continue to develop as best as possible.
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