Patriots legend believes QB competition might cause drama in the locker room

As the roster cutdown deadline nears, teams are required to have their 53-man rosters named by 4 p.m. on Tuesday. With the Patriots, there is more to think about than who will be cut or remain on the team for the season ahead.

The main conversation continues to revolve around who will be named the starting quarterback, even though Jerod Mayo seemed to imply that the decision has already been made.

Throughout the offseason, the new coaching staff has reiterated that Jacoby Brissett was going to be QB1 this fall and Drake Maye would have to outperform him to win the job. Based on what we've seen during the preseason, the rookie has accomplished that. So it would seem as though the debate is settled.

However, that doesn't appear to be the case yet. Mayo referred to Maye as the second-best quarterback on the roster and then, 12 hours later, admitted that he played better this summer than Brissett. This has caused a lot of confusion surrounding the inevitable decision, with most fans feeling very passionately about starting the rookie or keeping him benched until later in the year.

The debate will continue no matter what the Patriots eventually announce, but a former player who is now a commentator believes if Maye is not named the starter, it might create some issues in the locker room.

Devin McCourty is concerned about the Patriots decision in naming a starting quarterback

Because Maye has impressed in practice and during preseason, most have concluded that he gives New England the best chance to win games this fall, even with one of the toughest schedules in the NFL.

Even though the Patriots are in the middle of a rebuild and unlikely to compete for a spot in the playoffs, there is still a desire from fans and likely the team to (of course) do all that they can to stack as many wins as possible, which Devin McCourty believes could create problems with the team if Mayo's decision is for Brissett to lead the offense.

"The way Drake Maye has performed in these last two games is going to get some guys — especially if you’re on the defensive side of the ball. You aren’t in all the meetings and you don’t hear all the coaching, but you see it. If he continues to do this in practice, there will be guys in practice who say ‘I want to see (Maye) out there. I think that adds even more to the story."

Given McCourty was part of the Patriots during the Mac Jones era and all the drama that came with his declining performance and Bailey Zappe outplaying him, he's speaking from experience and hopes the new roster won't endure the same problems.

It's solid advice and makes a lot of sense, but there are a lot of factors to consider when deciding if Maye is ready and if the offense is built in a way to properly support him right away.

There are arguments to be made that the offensive line is not up to par, and throwing the rookie out there to navigate their shortcomings is a recipe for disaster and sets up the possibility that he gets injured or loses confidence, which wouldn't benefit anyone.

On the flip side, however, the Patriots spent the third overall pick on the quarterback, and he has outperformed the veteran they signed to be the bridge player in case the rookie they drafted wasn't ready. Because that's not reality, it's fair to argue that Maye should start.

No matter the decision, the hope is that the offense performs much better than it did during the 2023 season and that Maye is put on the right path to continue developing and succeeding long-term.

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