Point (Thaddeus)
2024 third-overall pick Drake Maye was better than Jacoby Brissett in the 2024 preseason. Maye’s completion percentage was almost double what Brissett’s was, even with a yards per attempt that was three yards higher than Brissett’s. Still, Brissett, who spent all last season as the backup in Washington, will start as quarterback for the New England Patriots against the Cincinnati Bengals in week one. While it may seem odd that New England wouldn’t choose the superior player, one must consider their current offensive lineup. Their offensive line is currently in shambles as center David Andrews is the only starter who isn’t a rookie or playing out of position. They’ve already shown their incapability after Brissett left the third preseason game with a shoulder injury. The receivers aren’t much better, as the most proven option is former Vikings’ third option K.J. Osborn. While Hunter Henry returns and Demario Douglas tries to build on the promise he showed toward the end of last season, New England’s offense is barren. In a season that will almost certainly end with a losing record regardless of who is under center, why rush Maye when his development and health could be put into jeopardy?
At least one of two key assets are needed if a young QB is to succeed right away. One is a bonafide number one wide receiver choice, such as the option Jayden Daniels has in Terry McLaurin. The other is a solid and cohesive offensive line, such as the one Bo Nix will be playing behind in Denver. New England lacks both. A recent example of someone who lacked both is the 2023 top selection, Bryce Young. Carolina traded up with Chicago and surrendered star receiver D.J. Moore, their 2023 and 2024 first rounders and a pair of second rounders. This left 33-year-old Adam Thielen as Young’s number one option. Young was also passing behind a line comprised of mostly inexperienced options. It was headlined by former sixth-pick Ikem Ekwonu, who has now allowed 25 sacks in two years in the league. Young was largely underwhelming in his first season, but the Panthers had somewhat set him up for failure.
The Bears, on their end of the trade, now demonstrate a rare exception. They capitalized on the extra draft capital received from Carolina by selecting offensive tackle Darnell Wright tenth overall in 2023 to pair with former second-rounder Teven Jenkins. In addition to acquiring Moore, Chicago traded for Keenan Allen and drafted Rome Odunze with their own first rounder, forming a probable top five unit in the league. They then selected Caleb Williams with their 2024 first rounder from the Panthers, which turned out to be first overall pick thanks to Carolina’s struggles behind Young. Williams will start week one, but he will have the weapons and protection it takes to potentially see production as a rookie. However, because they are coming off a 7-10 record and their defense lags slightly behind, the Bears aren’t necessarily positioned as contenders. This is the one ideal scenario where a rookie QB may completely thrive: a situation where they have adequate offensive weapons but also no pressure of a playoff race on top of the pressure to succeed as a first rounder.
At the end of the day, a rookie QB’s successful transition to the NFL has arguably as much to do with the situation they are drafted into as it does with their own individual skill. When we look at the Patriots’ situation, we see a team with an injured and unproven line, even more unproven options at receiver and a veteran QB who has handled these situations before. By choosing Brissett in the short term, all the Patriots concede is that they don’t plan on contending this season and want to protect their investment. There is no question that Maye is the future of the Patriots offense. Even with no pressure to make the playoffs, taking it slow and looking towards that future by letting him develop will benefit them in the long term when they are ready to return to contention.
Counterpoint (Connor)
Big news came out of the Patriots’ camp last week: head coach Jerod Mayo named Jacoby Brissett the starting quarterback for New England, despite drafting Drake Maye with the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft. While there is a solid chance that Maye will come in midseason to fill in some games, that is not enough. Mayo should have named Maye the starter from day one, and here’s why.
While New England’s unideal offensive line is a significant concern for throwing Maye out there to possibly struggle, the reality is that he needs game experience, and it can take years to obtain solid blockers. It’s a given that this is a rebuilding year for New England, meaning that this is the perfect opportunity for Maye to go through a learning year. However, being dormant on the sidelines does him no good. He needs to be able to read NFL defensive lines and coverages, not to mention dealing with pressure situations of the crowd and playing in front of a large audience. While practice is great for Maye, the in-game experience is invaluable, and if New England wishes to be successful in the near future, getting Maye out there now will prove beneficial.
Not to mention, all preseason long, Maye has been the better quarterback, which is why this debate is even coming up. The original plan was to take the Jordan Love route, maybe not that extreme, but it was to have him sit for an undisclosed period. However, his play has forced this issue. He’s not just performing at a high level just during team practices. Consider his second preseason game against the Eagles. Yes, it was the preseason, but Maye looked solid. He was making throws and setting his team up nicely, leading two scoring drives, including running one in himself, which brings up my next point: Maye’s ability to scramble.
The reality is that this Patriots offensive line will not be good for a few years, but that’s no reason why Maye should sit on the bench. The quarterback position has radically changed from what it was just a few years ago, and as a result, Maye’s ability to scramble and avoid taking major shots will improve his ability to stay healthy. Not to mention, he could make an immediate impact like rookie signal caller C.J. Stroud did last season. Maye, along with Stroud, both open up the playbook by being able to tuck it and run. However, something to consider is that with Maye on the field, you can call QB option plays with him, meaning that if a designed run up the middle with Rhamondre Stevenson goes nowhere, Maye can take it to the outside for a nice gain, while avoiding the big hit. New England does not have this luxury with Brissett, as the 31-year-old is nowhere near as mobile, and it’s simply just not his game. If he does scramble, he will be much more inefficient when sliding, meaning Brissett would be inadvertently surrendering two yards each time at a minimum. Not to mention, Maye doesn’t even need to scramble for a rushing gain. He can move how he wants in the pocket, either moving up or completely to the side and find receivers in broken plays, which, again, Brissett cannot do.
Maye is already better than Brissett in one important facet: the ability to throw it deep. Not only did we see this with UNC, but even in training camp and the few preseason reps he did get, Maye wasn’t afraid to let the football fly, converting at a high percentage in areas where his teammate didn’t have the consistent arm strength to do. For a team like the Patriots that was last in the league last season in explosive plays, this could be a nice change of pass to the offensive and give the team much flexibility when it comes to their offensive scheme.