New England Patriots
Training Camp Compeition: Clarity on Patriots QB Pecking Order
Day 8 of New England Patriots training camp is another stepping stone toward preparing the team for the regular season. But Friday’s practice also seemed to shed some light on the quarterback situation in Foxboro. Unless something significant changes, Jacoby Brissett is sitting solidly as the Patriots starter, backed up by Drake Maye. It appears Bailey Zappe, who ended 2023 as New England’s starting quarterback, is in serious jeopardy of not making New England’s 53-man roster.
Brissett threw 22 of the 32 passes in 11-on-11 practice. Maye attempted 11, while fellow rookie Joe Milton III threw one. Zappe did not receive any reps.
All four QBs spoke to the media following Friday’s public practice.
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Jacoby Brissett
The feeling here has been Jerod Mayo planned to enter the regular season with Brissett as QB1 barring something unforeseen. Mayo confirmed that earlier this week while talking to Kay Adams at camp. He said Brissett would get the nod if the competition with Maye was “neck and neck” but it doesn’t need to be that close, from this perspective, for the veteran to get the starting nod.
I'll take this Jerod Mayo quote with @heykayadams a step further. Even if they are not "neck and neck" if Jacoby Brissett is within shouting distance of Drake Maye by the end of training camp he will start Week 1 for the New England Patriots. They want Brissett to start. #NEPats https://t.co/X9qItvADHK
— Dan Kelley (@DanKelley66) July 29, 2024
Brissett was especially complimentary of DeMario Douglas, who removed his red non-contact jersey on Friday.
“His explosiveness, what he can do in stretching the field obviously is a weapon for us,” Brissett said of his potential primary target. “Building that chemistry. He’s a guy that loves football, you can tell. He pops up off the tape, no pun intended. It’s a lot of fun having him in the huddle. His energy is contagious.”
Brissett shared some advice with Drake Maye after a few bumps for the rookie this week.
“Keep going, man. It’s a long training camp,” advised Brissett. “The best thing he’s doing is putting one foot in front of the other, going back out there and competing.”
Drake Maye
The No. 3 overall pick remained confident in his play while acknowledging room for improvement. This is especially true with a much smaller margin for error in the NFL. He also explained his reps in Monday’s practice, which drew considerable criticism, were mostly running third-and-long scenarios. Maye did not mention erratic long snaps coming from backup center Atonio Mafi as an excuse for any timing issues or Maye’s lack of productivity.
He remains humble with a sense of self-belief that will be difficult for New England Patriots fans not to get behind.
“I think I made some nice throws. I feel like I’ve thrown the football well. Still, little things I could do better,” said Maye. “Buying one defender could end up being a sack or a throw away vs. a big completion. So just trying to do those things well and just pump up the guys. Be the guy out there, conditioned, and stay after practice and get extra throws that I missed.”
Joe Milton III
Milton is likely to stick on the 53-man roster to avoid exposing him to waivers. The rookie has shown the traits that made him such an intriguing prospect in the draft. He possesses incredible arm strength and freakish athleticism. But he knows it will take more than just those attributes to succeed in the NFL.
Milton appeared very relaxed when he met with the media on Friday. He said, “If you worry about making mistakes, you will make a mistake.” Perhaps this explains Milton’s calm demeanor. He was asked where he needed to improve.
“Just being able to operate,” answered Milton. “No matter which route it is, no matter what concept it is, or what type of play it is. Just being able to operate on my best.”
Bailey Zappe
Understandably, Zappe sounded disappointed with his lack of opportunities in practice. However, he kept a positive attitude about wanting to remain with the New England Patriots.
“It’s hard,” acknowledged Zappe about taking no snaps on Friday. “I want to be here. I want to play here.”
For a quarterback who ended the 2023 season as No. 1 in the QB room, it has to be somewhat discouraging to have done nothing over the offseason to cause a plummet down the depth chart, yet find himself now fourth.
Prediction
As stated before camp began, the belief here is that the New England Patriots will keep three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. Those quarterbacks will be Jacoby Brissett, Drake Maye, and Joe Milton III. They will carry a fourth QB on the practice squad. Bailey Zappe is a candidate for the role, though he may look for a fresh start elsewhere if he doesn’t make the 53-man roster.
As much as fans would be excited to see Drake Maye in action, it is easy to understand why the coaching staff wants Jacboy Brissett on the field. Even speaking to the media on Friday, Brissett sounded like a coach when asked about how the team was improving in practice offensively.
“It’s starting with the little things,” Brissett explained. “Breaking the huddle the right way. The right 11 guys in the huddle at one time. Hearing the play call, lining up right. The little things the defense has no control over, doing those things. Like staying onsides, using out cadence. Doing the things that the defense has no control over that’s gonna give us the best chance moving forward.
“I think that’s what AVP (offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt) has been harping on that. And I think those things will pay dividends when we go out there playing against the defense instead of playing against ourselves and the defense.”
The New England Patriots hope having Jacoby Brissett lead a QB room with rookies Drake Maye and Joe Milton III as his understudies in 2024 pays dividends for the health of the franchise, both short and long-term. Stay tuned.
