It’s been a challenging season for Jacoby Brissett, both on and off the field. The team is currently on a three-game losing streak after starting the season with a win against the Cincinnati Bengals, and much of the blame has been directed at the veteran quarterback.
As a result, there’s increasing pressure from outside to start rookie quarterback Drake Maye, and Brissett is fully aware of the conversations happening around him.
Bengals RT Trent Brown is headed to IR, with first-round pick Amarius Mims stepping into the starting lineup.
During a radio interview with WEEI, Brissett addressed the situation, saying, “Well, I don’t control that part of the process at all. Do I hear it? Of course, I’m not deaf.”
He continued, “I’m not blind to the fact that we drafted this guy third overall. That’s who people want to see, right? But I try to block it out and focus on what I do.”
When asked if he finds the speculation disrespectful, Brissett responded, “Yeah, it is. But at the same time, most of those people don’t know me, so I don’t care. Why waste time worrying about what they say? I just block it out.”
Jacoby Brissett says he hears the "noise" regarding starting Drake Maye. @WEEI @JumboHart @ChristianArcand pic.twitter.com/1zOTsof5eP
— WEEI Afternoon Show (@WEEIAfternoons) September 30, 2024
The Patriots are facing numerous offensive struggles, and simply replacing Jacoby Brissett with rookie Drake Maye won’t solve everything. However, head coach Jerod Mayo stirred up the conversation when he made a revealing comment about the quarterback competition during training camp.
“He did outperform Jacoby by the end of camp,” Mayo acknowledged. “Going into the regular season, we had to evaluate who gave us the best chance to win right now. Just because someone is trending better in one area doesn’t mean they’ll outperform overall.”
Mayo also addressed the fans directly.
“They want to see the third overall pick play,” he said on WEEI. “I understand the frustration from the fans and the media. What we’re doing is what we think is best for the Patriots, both for today and the future. You guys focus week-to-week, but I have to consider multiple factors.”
Despite the growing calls for a change, Mayo made it clear there are no plans to bench Brissett.
“Jacoby is 100% our starter,” he reaffirmed. “Hopefully, that clears things up.”
Amid the noise, Brissett continues to display leadership.
“That was just the first quarter of our season,” Brissett said. “We’ve got three-quarters left. We’ve got a lot of young guys, so I explained it to them—it’s like having a whole college season plus a Bowl game left.
“Of course, we wish things had gone differently. No one wants to be in a three-game losing slump, but we have to focus on the game plan, take it one game at a time, and make things happen. This week is about us, putting the past behind us, and starting fresh for the second quarter of the season.”
