The New England Patriots will roll with Jacoby Brissett as their Week 1 starting quarterback over rookie signal-caller Drake Maye. Despite Maye outperforming his veteran counterpart in the preseason, legendary former Patriots QB Tom Brady agrees with head coach Jerod Mayo's decision.
During Brady's appearance on FOX Sports' The Herd, host Colin Cowherd asked the seven-time Super Bowl champion whether he would sit Maye or start him to begin the season.
"I've gone on record to say that I think it's best, in my opinion, for young quarterbacks or rookie quarterbacks to kind of watch a veteran do it," Brady said. "There's so much that goes on and quarterbacks need to process so much information so quickly.
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Brady cited his own experience as a backup along with other star QBs who held the clipboard before taking the reins.
"I sat behind Drew Bledsoe my first year. What a great player he was. Someone that I got to watch and learn from," he added. "Aaron Rodgers watched behind Brett Favre. Patrick Mahomes watched behind Alex Smith. So when you have a real pro in front of you, they can help with that learning curve (so that the) young quarterback isn't necessarily going out there and losing confidence in what his abilities are.
"Ultimately, those young players are going to get opportunities. The franchises need those young quarterbacks to come in and take a big step and lead that franchise on into the future. I just like to give them a little bit of time to acclimate themselves to the pro game, the pro schedule, and it's a big difference between college football and professional football."
The 2023 season perfectly summed up Brady's point. Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, experienced major growing pains after being thrown into the fire with the Carolina Panthers. Jordan Love thrived for the Green Bay Packers after watching and learning behind Rodgers for two years.
There are exceptions, such as Houston Texans phenom C.J. Stroud, but there are obvious benefits to easing a rookie QB into action. Even if Brissett struggles, it makes sense for the Patriots to wait until their prized No. 3 overall pick is primed for success.
Brissett and the Patriots will open their 2024 campaign this Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Kickoff for the Week 1 matchup is set for 1 p.m. ET at Paycor Stadium.