Patriots' Jacoby Brissett 'Excited' About Drake Maye QB Competition After NFL Draft

While the New England Patriots selected North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye with the third pick in the 2024 draft, veteran signal-caller Jacoby Brissett isn't giving up his spot so easily.

Brissett told reporters on Wednesday that he's looking forward to competing with Maye for New England's starting quarterback position.

"That's all out of my control, so I don't really worry about that," Brissett said (h/t Nick Shook of NFL.com). "I'm excited to have him on the team and the other guys as well that we drafted and picked up. I think it's gonna be good. Competition brings out the best in all of us, so I'm excited about that part."

Brissett began his career with the Patriots as a third-round pick in the 2016 draft, spending his rookie season as the backup to Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo. He returned to New England on a one-year deal this offseason after spending time with the Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders.

While he is a career backup, the 31-year-old proved last season that he can be a reliable source of production when called upon. In three games for the Commanders, he completed 78.3 percent of his passes and had a 146.8 passer rating.

Brissett is known for bringing a veteran presence to the locker room, but he said Wednesday that serving solely as Maye's mentor is not on the agenda for him.

"Those things just happen because it's not necessarily for just one specific player. It's for the whole team," Brissett said. "I'm seeking mentorship as well. So it's an ongoing process. It's just being a good teammate. I think that's where it starts, and then everything else plays off of that."

Still, Maye will undoubtedly benefit from having the opportunity to learn from Brissett. If the youngster manages to earn the starting quarterback spot, Brissett will provide New England with a dependable backup if anything goes wrong.