Patriots already reaping the rewards of Drake Maye being named the starting QB

Although the plan seemed clear from the beginning, the Patriots' decision to have Jacoby Brissett be the starting quarterback for the 2024 season received a lot of backlash and nearly became the team's latest controversy.

Because Drake Maye appeared to have outperformed him throughout the summer and preseason, a point even Jerod Mayo shared, many fans believed the rookie would better serve as the starter from Week 1. While it was a fair and valid argument that the head coach even backed up, it was made clear early on that Brissett would be the bridge player and mentor Maye in the meantime, so it shouldn't have been such a shock when he was named the starter.

It became a topic of discussion again in recent weeks as the Patriots' offense continued to struggle and lost four straight games after upsetting the Bengals in the season opener.

Calls for Maye to take over continued heading into Week 6 until NFL insiders announced (before the Patriots had the chance to) that Brissett was being benched and Maye would start against the Texans on Sunday.

The move was expected to happen at some point this season, and although some believed it should have happened sooner, the thought was Maye wouldn't be under center until later in the year. But because the team has shown lackluster performance thus far, Mayo was kind of backed into a corner on this decision, especially as mutiny allegations have been made recently.

The decision was met with excitement from fans and a mixed reaction from players, mainly due to their admiration and respect for Brissett. But it didn't take long for them to appear just as animated as the fans about the news, which Mayo spoke about on Friday.

Drake Maye being named the starting quarterback has revitalized the Patriots locker room

With the potential of a locker room in disarray on the mind, the decision to bench Brissett in favor of Maye felt inevitable. It wasn't made overnight, nor was it decided because of the rumors of near mutiny behind the scenes, but more so because of the Patriots' continued regression as the weeks went on.

Plenty of players have expressed their unrelenting support of Brissett for the difficult reality he's dealing with and supporting the rookie ahead of his NFL debut; it's clear Mayo made the right decision making Maye the starter, which he said has brought a "renewed sense of energy" to the team this week.

“You can feel it, first of all, before you even see anything,” Mayo said. “The guys are locked in and ready to go. Those guys are running back to the huddle and ready for the next rep, so it’s encouraging.”

That was even more apparent when players spoke to reporters on Friday, as well, like tight end Hunter Henry, who was unable to hide his excitement about seeing Maye leading the offense in Week 6.

Their reaction is a positive sign that the right decision was made despite its difficulty, especially since there was increasing tension in the locker room during their four-game losing streak.

Clearly, Maye has the support of his teammates, including Brissett, and is expected to have a challenging but rewarding outing against Houston on Sunday. It might not be pretty, and the Patriots might not get the win, but the positive energy within the team is a much-needed progression in the Mayo era and will hopefully carry them through the rest of the season.

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