Patriots Defender Gives Eye-Popping Answer About Starting QB

The Patriots looked terrible through four weeks, and it created more outcry for Drake Maye to start, and it's possible the New England locker room felt the same.

That's what Evan Lazar of Patriots.com seemed to imply when he revealed on the "Catch 22" podcast that the locker room was "teetering on mutiny." The New England employee hinted at possible tension over the team taking lumps while Maye got to sit on the bench. The team took down the podcast episode, and Lazar admitted he got "carried away" with the comment, which Jerod Mayo played down.

Linebacker Jahlani Tavai also shut down the rumor, but when asked if he thought Jacoby Brissett gave the team the best chance to win, his answer raised eyebrows.

"Yeah, I don't know. You got to ask coach Mayo about that one," Tavai said on the "Greg Hill Show" on Friday. "My job is to make sure I make the right calls, make some tackles and get the ball back in their hands."

On if there were players who wanted Maye to start, Tavai added, "Like I said, I'm more worried about the defense. I'm trying to make sure we're on top of our communication because that's one of the things we need to have on defense."

The 28-year-old chooses to ignore the chatter, but fans couldn't help but wonder if there was some sentiment that a change on offense was needed. There's no doubt the players have high respect for Brissett, but the veteran quarterback's erratic play didn't inspire confidence through four weeks.

Granted, the defense didn't hold up their bargain and that might have been what Tavai was alluding to. However, it did make this Sunday's matchup against the Miami Dolphins a must-win to help boost morale for the locker room and the fanbase.