“We’re here to see where he is now, where he’s going, and once we start training camp, things will really get going. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past. The most important thing is what we’re doing now and what we’re doing in the future.”

Like any head coach, Mayo must balance the responsibility of winning games with developing the franchise’s future assets. No, expectations outside of Gillette Stadium aren’t very high for the Patriots this season, but Mayo can’t lead the sideline as if another loss is a formality. That wouldn’t be conducive to his own development as a first-year coach, nor would it build confidence in the locker room.

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There are pros and cons to both scenarios. If Brissett starts, the Patriots will likely have the best chance of smoothly utilizing offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt’s system early in the season. As part of that, Brissett should be more comfortable with checking at the line, including adjusting blocking strategies. It’s conceivable that this will benefit the offensive line’s cohesion as the season progresses, possibly to Maye’s advantage when his time comes.

The flip side, however, is that Maye has looked like the better quarterback in recent weeks of practice and the preseason. And rookie quarterbacks are better equipped to play early now because they get so much more training in high school and college due to recruiting and development camps, All-Star tournaments and even the ability to switch to get extra playing time. It’s not like the early 2000s, when it almost always made more sense to start a rookie on the bench.

By learning on the fly, Maye would make adjustments by experiencing rather than thinking them through. Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud, who was named Offensive Rookie of the Year last year, suffered an early setback before quickly emerging as one of the league’s best.

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Stroud is still the exception, of course. Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, who was selected ahead of Stroud, had a very difficult rookie season due to a weak offensive line and a lack of talent at the skill positions. There were also questionable scheme fits on offense, which ultimately led to another coaching change.

Those rookie setbacks don’t necessarily have to be Young’s undoing, just as younger quarterbacks like Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills and Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars have proven that it’s possible to overcome early adversity, whether it was fundamental weaknesses (Allen) or the chaos around them (Lawrence).

Wolf pointed to the stability in Buffalo that accompanied Allen’s development through an early rollercoaster ride.

“I just think about Josh Allen and what he went through with (offensive coordinator Brian) Daboll and (coach Sean) McDermott,” Wolf said. “Josh Allen is a Hall of Fame player. He’s unbelievable. People seem to forget that he was just mediocre or worse his first two years, but they had a plan they stuck to. The fact that Josh has become the player he is is a testament to Josh’s work ethic and ability. In a less stable organization, I don’t think the Josh Allen we all see today would be here.” Josh Allen.”

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No two situations are the same, but there are models to follow or even combine. Maintaining Maye’s confidence is also paramount, as quarterbacks have admitted to slumping in unstable situations.

The biggest risk is having Maye play right behind an offensive line that has looked shaky all summer. If Maye had been named the starter, there would have been concerns about injuries and other effects of a lack of protection on his mental state, his ability to run the offense, or his ability to rely on his own or his teammates’ performance. The worst-case scenario could be having to bench Maye early in the season for player retention reasons, which might be a logical tactic in real time, but would require a significant confidence boost in hindsight.

While this decision was made last week, it required months of collaborative discussions. While Maye, like any highly drafted QB, is viewed as the definitive face of the franchise, these are not plug-and-play situations.

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The selection of designs is only one part of the process. The development is much more intensive.

“First and foremost is a coaching staff that shares the philosophy of ‘draft and develop,'” Wolf said in May. “Everyone says ‘draft and develop.’ But even if it’s (hypothetically) a position coach who doesn’t want to let a rookie play and has to wait until his sophomore year, it’s hugely important to make sure the staff is on the same page about everything that’s going on. Jerod has done a really good job of communicating with his staff to make sure that happens.

“It’s about giving (Maye) every opportunity and every advantage to be successful. Whatever that support looks like, we have to be willing to give it, whether it’s financial things, something he needs or something the coaching staff needs to be able to support him. That’s the key.”

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One can certainly argue that the Patriots should have spent more on outside free agents to increase that support, especially at tackle and receiver. According to NFLPA records, the Patriots lead the league with $49 million in salary cap space.

But where are the doubts? Tyron Smith was the best tackle on the market, but the oft-injured 33-year-old signed a contract with the New York Jets that was loaded with incentives. With the Jets facing higher expectations this season, it’s unclear whether Smith would have even considered joining the Patriots without massive guarantees.

Maybe Smith can stay healthy for a few more years and prove that the investment was worth it. Smith was the best tackle in a market full of uncertainties, so the Patriots didn’t miss any sure things.

At the receiver position, the Patriots were outbid by the Tennessee Titans for Calvin Ridley and turned down Brandon Aiyuk despite a strong sign-and-trade offer from the San Francisco 49ers. Besides Ridley, the top free-agent receivers to move teams were Marquise Brown (Kansas City Chiefs), Curtis Samuel (Buffalo Bills), Tyler Boyd (Titans), Odell Beckham Jr. (Miami Dolphins) and Darnell Mooney (Atlanta Falcons). Boyd followed his former offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, while the others moved to teams expected to make the playoffs this season.

For a team like the Patriots that is currently rebuilding, that’s a hard truth. Top free agents usually prioritize three things: money, wins and a proven quarterback. The Patriots entered the batter’s box with two strikes.

However, they focused on making sure the coaching staff could support Mayo. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt previously played quarterback in the NFL, coached that position and ran his own offense. Senior offensive assistant Ben McAdoo was also an OC and quarterback coach. And quarterback coach TC McCartney played quarterback at LSU and coached that position in the NFL. It’s valuable to have multiple staff members with that experience. Mayo also made sure the coaches were trained in mental health under the guidance of their sports psychologists to keep a special eye on their players’ well-being.

Brissett also has a solid reputation as a veteran leader and mentor, and is self-aware enough to realize that this will ultimately be Maye’s team. Unless something unforeseen happens, there’s little reason to believe a midseason change would divide the locker room.

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“I have no doubt about the support for (Maye) in the building and the support for him on the football field,” Mayo said. “Now it’s just a matter of putting in the time. The problem with rookie quarterbacks is they have to reach that turning point at some point.”

“Our job is to develop a guy like Drake and let him develop at his own pace.”

In a perfect world, the Patriots could have inserted Maye into a ready-made offense with the support of a stifling defense, but they are still in the early stages of a rebuild. And because of each player’s need for self-improvement and the circumstances that surround them, no two quarterbacks develop the same way.

That’s why it’s so important for the Patriots to continue to figure out what’s best for Maye to keep him on track to become a franchise quarterback. Their rebuild depends on it.

(Photo: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)