Not Exciting, But Patriots Made Right Call With Week 1 Starting QB

Drake Maye was the Patriots' best quarterback in the preseason. Even head coach Jerod Mayo was willing to acknowledge as much.

However, the supremely talented rookie won't be behind center when New England opens its 2024 season.

Jacoby Brissett on Thursday was formally named the Patriots' starting quarterback. Mayo's decision wasn't the least bit surprising, as Brissett took the lion's share of first-team reps in training camp. Rolling with Brissett out of the gate also followed the perceived plan Mayo and Eliot Wolf had in mind when New England signed the veteran signal-caller in free agency.

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Not only was the announcement anticlimactic, but it also probably was upsetting to many Patriots fans. Maye was excellent in New England's final two preseason games, providing genuine optimism for the future of the franchise. While the 21-year-old earning the starting nod would have been great theater -- and perhaps given the Patriots a better chance to win -- handing the keys to Brissett was the right move for the short term.

This might have more to do with the supporting cast than the quarterbacks themselves. Maye and Brissett, like Mac Jones before them, have been working with a group of skill-position players who lack even above-average talent. Such a unit could stunt Maye's growth and perhaps hurt his confidence while he's still cutting his teeth in the NFL. Mayo seemingly wants to see how those pass-catchers perform in regular-season action before he injects the potential face of the franchise.

A bigger concern is the offensive line. The unit struggled throughout the summer, including a nightmarish performance in the preseason finale when Brissett was lucky to avoid a serious injury. Throwing Maye into the fire and tasking him to fight for his life from the get-go is not the way you want to usher in a young, inexperienced quarterback. Brissett has been there and done that in the NFL, making him far more equipped to deal with shaky O-line play.

New England's 2024 forecast is part of the equation, too. If we're calling a spade a spade, the Patriots probably will be one of the NFL's worst teams this season. With this in mind, why rush into starting Maye? His time will come, and the call should be made when New England provides him with a better situation to succeed.

Mayo's decision went against the NFL coaching cliches. The better player who gives the team the best chance to win didn't win the job. But for a variety of factors, it makes sense to let Brissett drive the car -- for now, at least.