New England Patriots QB Jacoby Brissett keeps starting job, coach praises toughness

Sept. 20 (UPI) -- Jacoby Brissett will remain the New England Patriots' starting quarterback, coach Jerod Mayo said Friday, less than 24 hours after rookie Drake Maye was given snaps in a loss to the New York Jets.

"Jacoby is our quarterback until I say he is not the quarterback," Mayo told reporters. "I thought last night he showed a lot of toughness, a lot of grit. On protection breakdowns, he tried to do what we asked him to do.

"But I would say, as a team, as a coaching staff, we've just got to be better."

Brissett completed 12 of 18 passes for 98 yards in the Patriots' 23-3 loss to the Jets on Thursday in East Rutherford, N.J. Maye replaced him in the fourth quarter.

Maye, who played at North Carolina and was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, completed 4 of 8 passes for 22 yards in the first regular-season action of his career.

Brissett completed 42 of 69 (60.9%) of his throws for 368 yards and a touchdown through three starts this season. The Patriots beat the Cincinnati Bengals 16-10 in their regular-season opener, but lost their last two games to the Seattle Seahawks and Jets.

Brissett was sacked five times Thursday at MetLife Stadium. Maye was sacked twice. Mayo tabbed Brissett as the Patriots' regular-season starter Aug. 29 after he battled Maye for the job throughout training camp and the preseason.

Maye completed 21 of 34 (61.8%) of his throws for 192 yards and a score in the preseason. Brissett completed 5 of 14 (35.7%) of his throws for 36 yards and an interception in the preseason.

Mayo said he expects practice repetitions to remain the same between Brissett and Maye, with the former receiving 70% and the latter 30%.

He said Maye's limited performance Thursday was "something to build off of." He also praised Maye's athleticism and ability to make every type of throw.

"Jacoby is still our starting quarterback and we've just got to be ready to support him," Mayo said. "We've got 11 guys out there on offense, so it's everyone.

The Patriots will face the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 29 in Santa Clara, Calif.