Why Jerod Mayo, Patriots Felt Drake Maye Should Replace Jacoby Brissett

FOXBORO, Mass. — Drake Maye will replace Jacoby Brissett as the starting quarterback of the New England Patriots, as announced by head coach Jerod Mayo.

Mayo confirmed the team’s decision during a press conference at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday. Multiple reports surfaced Tuesday afternoon stating the third overall pick would take over for the veteran when the Patriots host the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon.

The New England head coach said it was solely his decision, but Patriots executive vice president Eliot Wolf and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt all were on board.

Mayo explained what led to the change.

“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 Jacoby would give us the best opportunity to go out there and win games,” Mayo said, referencing Brissett’s ability to protect the football and run the offense.

“I think now Drake gives us the best chance to win now and going forward. He’s been developing, he’s been getting better every single week. As I said before, at the end of training camp, he actually was trending at a very high rate and that has continued through the early part of the season.”

Mayo lauded Brissett for taking the news like a professional and being a “warrior” on the field. Mayo met with both Brissett and Maye 1-on-1 on Tuesday night and met with the entire team Wednesday.

Brissett, who signed a one-year deal with the team this offseason, led the Patriots to a 1-4 record after five weeks. The Patriots have arguably the worst offense in the league, ranking second to last in points scored and total yards this season.

“I don’t think it’s a secret our offense hasn’t been performing the way we all hoped it would,” Mayo said. “I wouldn’t say the plan (for Maye) was expedited. Again, the end of training camp he was trending up and that never slowed down. At this point, he gives us the best chance to win.”

The offense’s struggles are not a product of Brissett individually, however. New England’s offensive line woes have been well-documented as the group allowed a higher pressure rate than any team in the NFL after five weeks. The Patriots rank 30th among 32 teams in pass-blocking metrics, as well. Whether Brissett was under duress or not was a true flip of the coin.

Brissett, though, did seem to leave plays on the field, especially in recent weeks. Mayo criticized the offense’s execution after New England suffered a 15-10 loss against the lowly Miami Dolphins on Sunday. The head coach who defended Brissett consistently struck a different tune after that performance.

It felt like the writing was on the wall for Maye, who received 30% of first-team reps during the week of practice. Coaches and teammates lauded the rookie for his development behind the scenes while Brissett was praised for his toughness and leadership — not his on-field production.

Those two things prompted the Patriots to make the move.

Maye now will lead the Patriots as they host the Texans at Gillette Stadium on Sunday with kickoff set for 1 p.m. ET.