Patriots Rumors: How Rivals Feel About Jacoby Brissett-Drake Maye Decision

Head coach Jerod Mayo played up a quarterback competition, but it played out the way most Patriots fans expected.

Mayo announced last week that Jacoby Brissett will be the starter for New England. Drake Maye admitted he wasn't too "disappointed" by the decision and continued to support Brissett as he's done throughout the offseason.

The decision wasn't much of a surprise given the state of the Patriots' offensive line and the lack of game-breaking pass-catchers, but the way Mayo handled the announcement by teasing it a day before only to have it leak out less than half an hour before his news conference wasn't the best look for the first-year head coach. That sentiment also was felt by New England's rivals.

"There's curiosity among rival teams with the way head coach Jerod Mayo publicly handled the quarterback battle between Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye," The Athletic's Jeff Howe wrote Monday. "But regardless of all that, no one really felt strongly either way over who should have been the Week 1 starter because the offensive line is shaping up to be a potentially insurmountable problem."

Howe added in his intel column that Maye "will almost certainly take over as the starter at some point this season." However, he added that the team's record and offensive line performance made it a guess as to when that would happen.

Brissett remained optimistic about the Patriots, who will hope to start the season strong in their road opener against the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday.