Jerod Mayo explains why Patriots are starting Drake Maye Week 6 vs. Texans
The New England Patriots officially announced Wednesday that they are turning to rookie first-round pick Drake Maye to make his first NFL start in Week 6.
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo outlined in a news conference announcing that the decision boiled down to one factor: winning.
"Drake gives us the best chance to win now and going forward," Mayo told reporters when asked to explain the switch at a Wednesday news conference.
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The Patriots spent the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft on Maye, but they planned to start Jacoby Brissett to begin the season.
"We thought that Jacoby would give us the best opportunity to go out there and win games, protecting the football and really running the offense," Mayo explained on Wednesday.
Starting Brissett allowed Maye to ease into his NFL career. He worked on learning the offensive system and developing his game on the sidelines as Brissett led the team.
Now, Mayo believes that Maye has made enough progress to be ready for the spotlight. The first-year coach credited the quarterback's work ethic for allowing him to earn the Week 6 start.
"He's been getting better every single week," Mayo said. "At the end of training camp, he was actually trending at a very high rate, and that has continued through the early part of the season."
Mayo lauded Brissett for the job he did as the team's starting quarterback. He called the 31-year-old journeyman a "warrior," said Brissett took news of the switch "very well" and commended the team captain for offering his support to Maye.
"I tip my hat to Jacoby for having that ego-less mentality," Mayo said.
Mayo also made it clear that the authority to bench Brissett and start Maye was his alone.
Maye will become the fourth rookie quarterback to start during the 2024 NFL season. The other three – No. 1 pick Caleb Williams, No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels and No. 12 pick Bo Nix – have a combined 10-5 record entering Week 6.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jerod Mayo: Drake Maye gives Patriots 'best chance to win now'
