Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo is making quarterback decisions for the first time this season and the first calls he has to make involves who will play in the team’s preseason opener against the Panthers this Thursday.
The Patriots have Jacoby Brissett, first-round pick Drake Maye, sixth-round pick Joe Milton, and Bailey Zappe on the roster. Mayo was asked at Tuesday’s press conference if he plans to get all four of them into the matchup with Carolina.
“As of today, that’s the plan, to have all of those guys out there playing,” Mayo said. “Once again, it goes back to competing. So, yesterday, you guys saw the live tackling period and things like that, that I think is very important. You don’t want the first time these guys have to get hit or hit someone else to be in the preseason game. So, we’ve got to see what these guys can do with live action.”
Mayo didn’t say who will start, but Brissett is seen as the likely choice for that role with Maye following him in the rotation. Mayo wouldn’t specify how much the rookie will play, saying only that confirming he’ll play is “more than you’ve ever gotten” in the Bill Belichick days.