New England's going the veteran route to open the 2024 season.
Jacoby Brissett has been named the Patriots' Week 1 starter over rookie first-rounder Drake Maye, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per a source. The team has since announced the news.
"There are a lot of factors that led to this choice," head coach Jerod Mayo told reporters Thursday. "I think the hard part is thinking in the short term and the long term at the same time. As an organization, though, we feel like Jacoby gives us our best chance to win right now."
It's a bit of a surprise considering Maye's surge to end the preseason, but Brissett will lead the Pats into the season when they kick off against the host Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 8.
Brissett, a free-agent signee, was the Pats' QB1 heading into the offseason program. Down the stretch of preseason play, though, Maye made a strong push to garner the starting job, with head coach Jerod Mayo going so far as to say Maye "has played better." However, the Pats have elected to go with the conservative approach by letting their first-rounder learn from the bench behind Brissett.
Maye, 21, was the No. 3 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, one of a record-tying six quarterbacks taken in the first round. The Chicago Bears' Caleb Williams (No. 1 overall), the Washington Commanders' Jayden Daniels (No. 2) and the Denver Broncos' Bo Nix (No. 12) are each pegged to start on the NFL's season-opening weekend. Maye will join the Atlanta Falcons' Michael Penix (No. 8) as a backup, while the Minnesota Vikings' J.J. McCarthy (No. 10) was dealt the cruelest fate and will miss his rookie season after tearing his meniscus.
The 31-year-old Brissett dinged up his shoulder in the team's preseason finale against the Washington Commanders, but it wasn't thought to be serious on Sunday and clearly isn't after Thursday's development.
Brissett will still eventually be a bridge to Maye, the Patriots' bona fide future under center, but for now has the reins to open a new era in New England.
Going with Brissett to start the season could eventually be a boon for Maye, as the Patriots' pass catchers and offensive line are units with question marks aplenty. New England also has a tough road to start the season with matchups against the Bengals, Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets prior to three straight against 2023 playoff teams (the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans).
Brissett, originally drafted by the Patriots in 2016, will now be a Week 1 starter for the third time in his career and for his third team. He was the Indianapolis Colts' opening-week starter in 2019 and a fill-in Week 1 starter for the Cleveland Browns in 2022. He is coming off a 2023 campaign with the Washington Commanders in which he threw for 224 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in three relief appearances.
Now he's the opening day starter for the Patriots, delaying the launch of the Maye era in Foxborough. Just how Brissett and the Pats fare to open the season will no doubt play a large role as to when the North Carolina product makes his debut.
