Drake Maye became the future face of the New England Patriots from the moment he was selected with the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Yet, unlike Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, who were picked first and second, New England’s prized rookie didn’t get to start right away.
Jerod Mayo instead decided to start 32-year-old journeyman Jacoby Brissett for the first five games of the season. But after averaging just 12.4 PPG and leading the team to a 1-4 record, the Patriots pulled the plug on Brissett, handing the keys to Maye, who’s gone 2-6 but has his team averaging 19.8 PPG.
It’s clear that Maye has provided a spark, but Brissett suggests the team’s early-season struggles shouldn’t fall entirely on his shoulders.
Jacoby Brissett points blame at his New England Patriots teammates and staff
The New England Patriots have the fewest passing yards in the NFL this season, but Jacoby Brissett’s struggles are a big reason why. He was averaging just 118.3 YPG compared to Drake Maye’s 188.4. Despite making six starts, Brissett couldn’t top 168 yards on the season.
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Recently, Brissett discussed the early-season benching that led to Maye’s NFL debut. In doing so, the veteran strongly suggested the Patriots’ offensive problems were due to a lack of help from his teammates or possibly a failure by New England’s coaching staff to put him in a position to succeed.
“There’s so much I could say, but I guess, ‘not ideal.’ Obviously, a unique situation here. I’m not the one to make excuses, but at some point somebody is going to have to watch the film and understand what I was dealing with. I think that kind of speaks for itself. I think it’s very easy for people to blame the quarterback for things — that’s what this profession is — but yeah man, tough year.”
Part of the issues surely were along the offensive line, with the Patriots using five different starting lineups in each of his starts. Moreso, many of the Patriots’ top receivers have either since been demoted, or cut from the team, such as K.J. Osborn and Tyquan Thornton.
While his on-field performance was lackadaisical, Brissett has still been strongly supportive of Maye’s opportunity, helping the young QB prepare for each upcoming opponent.
Brissett will be a free agent at season’s end, so he’ll have a chance to pick a better landing spot this offseason.
