Week 3 of the NFL preseason is in full swing, and that means the regular season is almost here. However, position battles still have to be won; for the New England Patriots, they’ll finish things out against the Washington Commanders.
With the Patriots facing the Commanders, New England’s starting quarterback battle will finally come to an end. Is Drake Maye playing?
Will Patriots QB Drake Maye Play vs. the Commanders?
The story of the Patriots’ offseason has been many things, but most notably it’s been “Who will be the team’s starting quarterback in Week 1?” Veteran Jacoby Brissett or top-five pick Maye are the leading candidates, and all of that will come down to preseason Week 3, as both Brissett and Maye will play.
Brissett, who likely leads the competition, will get the start for the Patriots, but Maye will get in the game right after him.
Through two games, Brissett has gone 3-of-10 for 17 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception. Maye, on the other hand, has gone 8-of-14 for 66 yards, zero touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Maye has, however, thrown some impressive passes that were dropped over the course of his limited playtime.
“It’s still a competition, and Jacoby is still QB1,” head coach Jerod Mayo said. “It’s a competition between all guys on the field, including the quarterbacks. [Brissett] is still QB1.”
According to Mayo, the team will likely announce who its Week 1 starting quarterback will be early next week. “I think Monday or Tuesday, we’ll probably know who it is. That doesn’t mean I’ll tell you Monday or Tuesday,” Mayo said.
In terms of what he wants to see from the quarterbacks, it’s a clean operation. “It starts with the operation. I always say, ‘Good huddle, good break, good play,'” Mayo said. “So, it starts in the huddle, then getting guys lined up, going out there, executing the play, making the right reads, and moving the offense down the field.”
READ MORE: Patriots OC Alex Van Pelt Reaffirms Brissett as Top QB, Doesn’t Rule Out Maye
When asked if he felt comfortable letting Maye run the offense, Mayo didn’t even question it: “100%, I think he’s ready to run a huddle.”
When both Brissett and Maye are done, it will be rookie Joe Milton III and veteran Bailey Zappe handling whatever reps are left. Milton has flashed at times, throwing for 74 yards and one touchdown through two games.
