All four quarterbacks on the New England Patriots roster -- Jacoby Brissett, Drake Maye, Joe Milton and Bailey Zappe -- got playing time in each of the first two preseason games.
The plan is for that trend to continue in Sunday night's preseason finale versus the Washington Commanders on the road.
"Look, Jacoby (Brissett) is going to start the game off," Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo told reporters Friday. "Drake (Maye) will play as well. Joe (Milton) will play as well. ... (Bailey) Zappe will play.”
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Brissett has started each of the last two games, with Maye coming in afterward. Maye played just one series in the preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers but got four drives in the second matchup versus the Philadelphia Eagles last week.
The No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft played quite well against the Eagles, showing impressive accuracy throwing the ball and good athleticism to escape the pocket and pick up yards, including a rushing touchdown.
Mayo noted that "mental toughness" and "competitiveness" are two qualities he looks for in quarterbacks. He gave an example of how Maye has improved in dealing with adversity on the field since the start of training camp.
“Yeah, if you guys remember early on, he was throwing interceptions and he would get so down on himself," Mayo said. "I would say now as we exit camp, he’s done a lot better job being able to pull the nose up on the plane when it seems like it’s going down. I think that’s an important quality.”
It'll be fascinating to see how much playing time Maye gets on Sunday. He played a little more than a quarter last week, and the offense operated far more efficiently with him under center than it did with Brissett. Maye also has put together a few good practices since that game as well.
If the battle for the starting QB job is a real competition, then Sunday's preseason matchup could be pivotal in the team's final decision ahead of Week 1.