Jerrod Mayo has been the head coach of the New England Patriots for two years now, and he has already begun working to avoid any quarterback controversy.
Drake Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, completed four passes for 22 yards in the Patriots' 24-3 loss to the New York Jets on Thursday night. It was Maye's first regular-season game.
Amid growing calls for Mayo to take the reins away from starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett, the Warriors made it clear who they plan to use in the near future.
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New England Patriots head coach Jerrod Mayo in action during the second quarter of a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium on August 8, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Jaden Tripi/Getty Images)
“Jacoby is our quarterback until I say he's not our quarterback,” Mayo said Friday. “I thought he played very tough and very dogged.”
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The Patriots came into the game short on personnel on the offensive line.
New York Jets linebacker Quincy Williams (56) sacks New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) during the first half at MetLife Stadium. (Robert Deutsch/Imagn Images)
Brissett finished with 98 yards passing. He was also sacked five times and didn't have much of a chance after Maye entered the game in the fourth quarter.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye runs with the ball during the fourth quarter of a game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on September 19, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Brad Penner-Imagn Images)
Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said keeping Maye in a backup role for the time being will ultimately be beneficial.
“I still think we'll just have to watch the game and make a judgment call. I think there's still a lot to learn and I remain unchanged on that,” Van Pelt said. “Like coach said, Jacoby is our starter and until that changes, I think we've got to do everything we can to get our starters to win the game (at San Francisco on Sept. 29).”
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Coach Mayo acknowledged the challenges that arise when a quarterback is thrown into the fire during a game.
“It's always tough coming off the bench at that time at any position, especially the quarterback position, but I thought he did a good job of standing around and trying to put together drives,” Mayo said. “It's something to build off of.”
The Patriots will travel to California next week to play the San Francisco 49ers.
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