FOXBORO, Mass. — If for just one day, there was a sense of hope surrounding the New England Patriots.
Drake Maye’s replacement of Jacoby Brissett was the top storyline at One Patriot Place on Wednesday. Head coach Jerod Mayo confirmed Maye would start Sunday against the Houston Texans, then fielded a deluge of questions about what led to his decision.
Over the next hour, reporters spoke with Maye and other players about the beginning of a new chapter in Foxboro.
Drake Maye Opens Up on Replacing Jacoby Brissett
To start his first news conference as an NFL starting quarterback, Maye was asked for his reaction to Mayo’s decision.
“Yeah, I think it’s a great opportunity,” Maye said. “It’s something you dream of, getting your first start in the NFL. I’m really excited to get out there with the guys, take advantage of having the full week to get prepared, and try to put my best foot forward to help the team win.”
Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, started slow in training camp but broke out late in the summer. The Patriots ultimately named Brissett the starter, but Maye used his time as a backup to learn from a consummate professional.
“I had five games of sitting on the sideline hearing the play calls, preparing for the game, preparing for a Thursday night game versus preparing for a Sunday afternoon game,” Maye said. “I feel like we’ve balanced a lot of different things throughout the week, how to prepare, and just trying to tag along from Jacoby, a veteran in this league who does a great job.
“I’ve learned so much from him and seeing how he goes about practice. That’s been the best thing of watching Jacoby and watching how he handles the whole nine yards, whether it’s preparing, handling teammates, handling [media]. He’s been great, and a great mentor.”
Drake Maye takes his first questions as the Patriots' starting quarterback pic.twitter.com/tDJq5sexnt
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) October 9, 2024
Maye was also asked to share insight into his conversations with Brissett after being named the starter. The UNC product used the question as an opportunity to empathize with Brissett, who took a beating during his five games as the starter.
“He’s the ideal teammate,” Maye said. “Ideal guy to be in the room with as a quarterback. The biggest thing is, you hate it for him. I think Jacoby fought his butt off. Got up every time he was getting hit. Not only that, he just kept that mindset of, ‘Hey, it’s going to be the next play. We’ve got this drive coming.’
“Just seeing him on the sideline and the positive vibes he kept and brought to this team — and will still bring to this team. He’s a great mentor, great friend. I was trying to do everything I can to help him, and I’m sure he’ll do the same.”
Drake Maye on Jacoby Brissett:
“You hate it for him.” @abc6 #nevshou #nepats pic.twitter.com/co69fml70k
— Ian Steele (@RealianSteele6) October 9, 2024
Maye again propped up Brissett when asked whether he felt he’d been trending toward a promotion in recent weeks.
“Really I was just trying to prepare and try to stay ready every week,” Maye said. “That’s the thing about this league; you never know when your number is going to get called. So try to stay ready.
“Like I said earlier, Jacoby, I think he did all he could. I think he battled his butt off and was a great leader. So I think kinda the biggest thing is, it’s a winning league, and we’re sitting here at 1-4. I think these guys around here want to win.”
Jerod Mayo Explains Decision To Start Maye
Mayo began his news conference with an update on safety Jabrill Peppers, who was arrested over the weekend on domestic violence and drug charges. Peppers was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list and will be away from the team for the foreseeable future.
Then it was all about Maye.
Here’s Mayo’s long, all-encompassing answer when asked to explain his decision:
“I thought Jacoby — we say it all the time that it’s all about competition, every single position. I would say, as a coach — and I know the organization feels this way — we’re trying to win every game.
“At the time, we thought that Jacoby would give us the best opportunity to go out there and win games, protecting the football, really running the offense. With that being said, he was a warrior. As you guys know, he’s taken a lot of hits and just kept getting up.
“I would also say, for a guy like that to be voted as a captain in this situation and continue to be very supportive of Drake Maye, I tip my hat to Jacoby for having that egoless mentality. Going forward, I think now, Drake gives us the best chance to win now and going forward. He’s been getting better every single week, as I’ve said before.
“At the end of training camp, he actually was trending at a very high rate. That has continued through the early part of the season. So, it was solely my decision to make this choice. I had a conversation one-on-one with Jacoby. I had a conversation with Drake. We’re all on board. I would also say Jacoby is a warrior, and he took the news very well, like a professional, like you would expect from a guy like that.”
Jerod Mayo explains his decision to start Drake Maye.
"Drake gives us the best chance to win now and moving forward."
Said the team's plan wasn't "expedited" and Maye was trending toward starting at the end of camp. pic.twitter.com/kI1bjzs8qH
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) October 9, 2024
Mayo also claimed coaches and front office staffers are all on board with the decision to start Maye. He also said the Patriots’ plan for developing Maye wasn’t “expedited” by their ugly start to the season.
“At the end of the training camp, he was trending up, and that never slowed down,” Mayo said of Maye. “So, at this point, he gives us the best chance to win.”
Mayo said Maye would get “most” of the starter’s reps during practice after seeing roughly 30% while backing up Brissett. Rookie Joe Milton III will continue to serve as the third QB on the depth chart, with Brissett operating as the top backup.
Amid some confusion, Mayo and the Patriots confirmed Maye and Brissett were informed of the decision Monday night. The news leaked Tuesday afternoon (an off day for the Patriots), meaning players found out before Mayo could tell them first in a team meeting.
“A little [disappointed],” Mayo said of the news leaking early. “Any type of decision that’s a big decision, you want to let the team know first. But in saying that, look, these guys, they read everything, and you know, it’s fine.”
What Patriots Players Are Saying About QB Change
Here are some quotes from Patriots players who were asked about Maye being named the starter.
DE Deatrich Wise Jr.
On Mayo’s decision: “We heard [the news] this morning, and Coach said that Drake was gonna be our quarterback, so we’re behind Drake.”
On what he’s seen from Maye: “In practice, I’ve seen him be resilient. Come back from plays he didn’t like and make good plays after that. I’ve seen him running the offense pretty smoothly.”
Drake Maye rocking the throwback helmet in his first practice as the Patriots' starting quarterback. Pats will wear the old unis in Sunday's game against Houston pic.twitter.com/AAF3iCRk7H
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) October 9, 2024
OT Vederian Lowe
On whether it’s difficult to switch from blocking for a pocket QB to one with more mobility: “I don’t think so. Me, personally, my job is simple: keep the end from getting to the pocket. And I think it helps with Drake having that mobility, to be able to feel the pressure and scramble off from that to still keeping the play going. That, in turn, will help the offense. … Drake’s mobility is going to help us a lot.”
WR DeMario Douglas
On his reaction to the news: “We still gotta come out here and do what we gotta do.”
On his chemistry with Maye in practice: “We’ve been doing everything with every quarterback. … Just getting every rep with different quarterbacks.”
On what he’s looking forward to from playing with Maye: “I’m trying to get into the end zone and score, and get a [win].”
WR Kendrick Bourne
On what the QB change could do for the team: “Proud of Brissett. Proud of how he’s being a pro. … I know it’s probably tough, but it’s just how the league goes. Excited for Drake.”
On what he’s seen from Maye: “Just growth. He’s poised. I think he’s really confident. And that’s what I like to see. When we do walkthroughs and things like that, he sounds confident, he feels confident, in the huddle he seems confident. And that’s what we need.”
On what Maye brings to the offense: “His athleticism is actually impressive. Didn’t think he was that fast — I think his 40 [time] might be faster than mine. … He’s just impressive with what he can do and escape the pocket.”
On the mood in the locker room: “Drake — everybody’s just excited to see what he can do. Just believing in him, helping him be the best he can be. Top three for a reason, so there’s something there.”