Tom Brady picks sides in debate over Patriots HC Jerod Mayo starting Jacoby Brissett over Drake Maye
When the last week of April rolled around, the New England Patriots were widely expected to pick a quarterback with the third overall pick. The only question was who that quarterback would be. The Washington Commanders eventually answered that question for the Patriots by picking Jayden Daniels second overall, which meant Drake Maye would land with NE.
Cut to September and Week 1 is right around the corner. However, despite a strong showing from Maye in preseason, head coach Jerod Mayo announced that Jacoby Brissett would be the starting quarterback with Maye officially named as the backup on the depth chart. Rookie Joe Milton, who also impressed in preseason, will serve as QB3. That decision was not met with a unified chorus of applause, with many fans questioning why Maye wasn't named the starter despite being earmarked as the future face of the franchise.
Franchise legend Tom Brady was also asked for his thoughts on the Patriots' QB situation. During an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, the seven-time Super Bowl champion had this to say about the Brissett vs Maye debate:
“I’ve gone on record to say that it’s best, in my opinion, for rookie quarterbacks to watch a veteran do it. Quarterbacks need to process so much information so quickly. I sat behind Drew Bledsoe. Aaron Rodgers watched behind Brett Favre. Patrick Mahomes watched behind Alex Smith. When you have a real pro in front of you, they can help with that learning curve."
Tom Brady advocates for Patriots to give more time for Drake Maye to be the starter
Brady added another point to the Brissett vs Maye debate shining some light on what he thinks the Patriots' approach could be with the rookie quarterback.
Brady said:
“Ultimately, those young players are going to get opportunities. The franchises need the young quarterbacks to come in and take a big step and lead the franchise on into the future. I just like to give them a little bit of time to acclimate themselves to the pro game and the pro schedule.”
All things considered, we may not see a lot of Maye this year unless Brissett faces some time out. But all signs point to the franchise being sold on Maye as the starter in the future.