The Patriots are not making a quarterback change after extending their losing streak to three games Sunday.
Head coach Jerod Mayo told reporters Monday afternoon that Jacoby Brissett is “100% our starter. He’s 100% our starter, and that’s how we’re going to look at this going forward.”
That means the Patriots will continue to sit their 2024 third-overall pick, Drake Maye.
That required some clarification after Mayo made a similar statement about Brissett on Monday morning during his weekly appearance on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” but then implied that he could change his mind.
“When we say those things, like, ‘Alright, this guy is starting as of” — like, we always, always reserve the right to do something else, no matter what the position is, and that’s how I operate,” Mayo said on WEEI. “I’m always going to do what’s best for the organization.”
Mayo said he understands the frustration from fans that rookie quarterback Maye will continue to sit behind Brissett.
Mayo himself said that Maye was outplaying Brissett by the end of training camp. Brissett has completed 60.4% of his passes for 536 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in four games. He also lost a fumble in Sunday’s 30-13 loss to the 49ers.
“What we’re doing is what we think is best. What I’m doing is what I think is best for the Patriots today and also in the future. And that’s how I have to look at these things. (The media) look(s) at these on a week-to-week basis. I think there’s a combination of multiple things that I have to deal with.”
Mayo wouldn’t specify what the Patriots’ plan is with Maye and why the team is hesitant to start him.
Brissett is currently facing the NFL’s highest pressure rate at 49.6%, per Next Gen Stats. Brissett faced a league-high 21 pressures Sunday and 53.8% pressure rate. That was despite getting the ball out, on average, in 2.6 seconds, which was seventh-lowest in the league.
The Patriots started their fourth left tackle, Demontrey Jacobs, in four weeks, having already gone through Chukwuma Okorafor, who left the team, and Vederian Lowe and Caedan Wallace, both of whom are hurt.
“He’s done a good job doing what we’ve asked,” Mayo said of Brissett’s performance. “Are there a lot of plays that we could do a better job with? Absolutely. But I would never question his toughness, dependability, his leadership style for this team, and that’s what we need right now.”
Mayo called Brissett’s interception Sunday against the 49ers a bad throw and bad decision.
