Jerod Mayo shares latest update on Patriots’ quarterback plans
On Wednesday Jerod Mayo answered a number of questions about the Patriots quarterback situation involving Jacoby Brissett, Drake Maye, and potential external additions.
As the team emerges from its mini-bye week, the New England Patriots quarterback situation is facing multiple questions. On top of the ongoing discussion about when to start rookie Drake Maye, there’s also the matter of the team’s inability to protect current starter Jacoby Brissett, and what would happen if Brissett gets hurt. During Wednesday’s press conferences with Brissett and head coach Jerod Mayo, the quarterback topic came up early and often.
Some of the questions revolved around the hits Brissett has been taking – both in terms of overall volume and individual physicality. Through three weeks Brissett has been hit as a passer 28 times per ESPN, and his facing the highest pressure rate of any quarterback in the NFL at 47.6 percent per Next Gen Stats.
Brissett was asked on Wednesday how he’s handled taking so many hits so early. “I just keep getting up,” he replied. He added that over the weekend he was reflecting on the beginning of his career, as a way to try to help himself and the Patriots moving forward this season. “My first year in Indy [Indianapolis], I got hit a lot. But you still keep getting up,” he recalled.
“He’s a tough S.O.B., man. He took some shots,” tight end Austin Hooper told reporters on Wednesday when asked about the hits Brissett has taken this year. “I mean, for that guy to peel himself up off the turf like that time and time again, it’s impressive, man. You to see some of those hits on tape it’s like, ‘jeez.'”
“He’s a very tough guy,” Hooper continued. “When you have a guy like that who’s always in it, it builds juice. So we’re all – in this locker room – really proud about how how tough that guy is sitting in there doing it week in, week out. I mean, I don’t think there’s been a single week where he hasn’t come out without taking a big time NFL style collision. And he doesn’t say anything about it. Just gets right back up, good attitude, cool, communicating with the guys, and next play.”
“He’s handled himself like a true professional,” Mayo added, noting Brissett’s presence as a team captain.
With Brissett taking those kinds of hits on a regular basis and the offensive line still dealing with multiple injuries, the question has come up externally as to whether or not the Patriots would add a veteran quarterback to the room. This would be somebody to fill in if Brissett got hurt, so the team wouldn’t have its hand forced on playing Maye – who is currently the backup – until they feel he is ready.
Mayo put that question to bed on Wednesday. “That’s not in our plans at this current time,” he replied, when asked about the possibility.
That brought the conversation to Maye. Is the reason the Patriots don’t feel the need to add a veteran based on belief in what they’ve seen from the rookie?
“[Maye] has looked good in practice, but once again, it’s just practice. You want to get a guy like that, obviously, on the football field,” Mayo said. “But at this current time, we’re just not looking to add any pieces at that spot.”
Mayo also clarified a previous report that Maye is getting about 30 percent of the reps in practice (most backup quarterbacks get 5-10 percent). He confirmed that’s still the split, and gave a little more background on what that looks like.
MORE: When Drake Maye should take over the Patriots quarterback job
“It’s 70-30 with the [starting offense],” Mayo explained. “Drake’s getting a ton of reps on the show team, and he’s approached that process the right way. He doesn’t want to know what the defense is doing. He doesn’t want to know the coverage. He’s going out there, going through his reads, and we talk about that all the time. Just because you’re on the show team doesn’t mean you can’t work on your fundamentals and your progressions, and he’s done a good job of that.”
While Mayo didn’t fully get into the starting quarterback conversation on Wednesday, the confidence he expressed in the third overall pick does feel notable. It may not mean a change in the immediate future (Mayo has twice reaffirmed that Brissett remains the starting Patriots quarterback since Thursday night’s loss), but it should be a sign progress is being made behind the scenes.
