On Thursday morning, first-year head coach Jerod Mayo made it official that the Patriots would not be starting their 1st round draft pick rookie, Drake Maye. The Patriots have wisely decided to give the number 3 overall pick some time to develop, despite a strong showing to conclude preseason.

Mayo had stirred the pot a bit in the previous week, stating that the rookie had outplayed the veteran during preseason, sparking speculation that the rebuilding Patriots would be trotting out their hopeful future franchise quarterback behind their turnstile offensive line. Maye was 21-of-34 throwing for 192 yards and a touchdown as well as rushing for 32 yards and a score. In contrast, Brissett was just 5-of-14 for 36 yards and an interception.

Mayo was able to put that speculation to rest, stating: "...as an organization, we are 100% behind Jacoby. There is no 'You got a guy right here, you got a guy right there.' We're 100% behind Jacoby." Mayo spoke with both players separately and as a group. While owning the decision, he made it known he had had several talks with new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who subtly suggested the decision was not exclusively based on talent but on experience playing behind the NFL's 30th ranked offensive line.

Van Pelt said, "There's certain things in this offense that Jacoby, having played in it, understands some of the tools you can use to get out of certain situations, pressure situations."

The Patriots start the season on the road in Cincinnati on September 8th, with no timeline on when fans can expect to get their first glimpse of the rookie, as confirmed by Mayo: "As long as Jacoby is going out there performing the way we all have confidence in him doing, he'll be our quarterback this season."

While this decision affords the rookie the opportunity to develop and build confidence before taking the field, it is unclear how much patience New England fans will have, as they are not accustomed to rooting for a struggling football team.