The New England Patriots announced the veteran will start Week 1 over the rookie.
Jacoby Brissett will lead the offense when the Patriots take on the Cincinnati Bengals on the road next weekend to begin the season. Brissett is the experienced quarterback out of the players the team has in the room but rookie Drake Maye is the quarterback in waiting.
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First-year head coach Jerod Mayo acknowledged that Maye had played better on Monday but the experience that Brissett had overall was going to be a factor.
“I would say it just starts in practice and also in the game where Drake has played better. Now, in saying that, everyone needs to know who the starters are going to be,” Mayo said. “I think there are multiple factors that kind of have to go into this decision. One is the total body of work, whether we’re talking about the spring or the entirety of training camp.
“I would also say oftentimes we forget about just the overall experience that a guy like Jacoby has, which will also be weighted in the decision that we have to make here in the near future. But I’m happy with the way those guys are battling it out, and hopefully, over the next couple of days, we can name a starter and get the season rolling.”
STEELERS MAKE DECISION ON WEEK 1 STARTING QUARTERBACK
Mayo said Wednesday they made a decision and didn’t communicate it to the quarterback just yet. It wasn’t until Thursday that it was officially announced.
Brissett said in a radio appearance earlier this week he felt like he did enough to earn the starting job.
“In my eyes I am,’ Brissett told WEEI. “I haven’t heard anything differently. So that’s what I have to go off of.”
Brissett was a third-round pick of the Patriots in 2016 and started two games for the Patriots in his rookie year as Tom Brady sat due to a Deflategate suspension.
He then joined the Indianapolis Colts for four years going back and forth between QB1 and QB2. Since the start of the 2021, he’s been with the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders.
As for Maye, he’ll be able to watch and take in someone with loads of quarterback experience before he gets to step on the field.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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