Jacoby Brissett ‘not worried’ about competing for Patriots’ starting QB job
"Competition brings out the best in all of us, so I’m excited about that part.”
In Foxborough, a once-sparse quarterback room is overflowing with competition for the starting gig.
“Everything is about competition, and nothing is given. All of it’s earned. That’s how we thought about the process,” head coach Jerod Mayo said after drafting not one, but two rookie quarterbacks during the 2024 NFL Draft.
UNC’s Drake Maye and Tennessee’s Joe Milton III will join the existing group -Jacoby Brissett, Bailey Zappe, and Nathan Rourke – in New England over the coming weeks.
For Brissett, the veteran quarterback who signed a one-year contract with the Patriots during free agency, competing for a starting position is familiar.
Eight years ago, Brissett – like UNC’s Maye – was drafted by the Patriots. The 2016 third-rounder spent a year with New England as a backup to Tom Brady, learning behind one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
“That’s all out of my control, so I don’t worry about that,” he told reporters during a charity event in Rhode Island on Wednesday, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “I’m excited to have [Maye] on the team, and the other guys as well that we drafted and picked up. I think it’s going to be good. Competition brings out the best in all of us, so I’m excited about that part.”
Brissett would go on to spend time with the Colts, Dolphins, Browns, and Commanders before finding his way back to Foxborough.
“I’m excited. It’s been good so far. I’m re-familiarizing myself with the team and the building, it’s been good,” he said about his return.
The 31-year-old will be the oldest player in the quarterback room, potentially serving an important mentor role for his teammates – notably 21-year-old Maye.
“Having a guy like Jacoby Brissett will really help Drake because Jacoby’s a veteran who’s seen it all, done it all, has had success, [and] will be a great mentor for him,” former Patriots backup quarterback Brian Hoyer told MassLive’s Karen Guregian on the “Eye on Foxborough” podcast.
And while Brissett matches Mayo’s threshold for competition, Hoyer noted that the veteran QB retains a team-first mindset.
“I know Jacoby, and I know he’s a great competitor, but he’s also a great human being and a great guy. So, he won’t hold anything back as far as helping Drake out,” Hoyer said.
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