By Cate Ewald, Contributing Writer

The most heated debate of this football season is whether Jacoby Brissett or Drake Maye should start as the Patriots quarterback, arguably the most important position in the NFL. Although offensive coaches design plays, the quarterback ultimately makes the split-second decision about where the ball will  go once it is snapped. Even if the quarterback is young, he is automatically one of the team’s central leaders. 

The best quarterbacks in each rookie class are selected with the first few picks, and the Patriots had the third pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Having traded Mac Jones, their 15th overall pick in 2021, in the off-season, the Patriots selected Drake Maye from the University of North Carolina. In addition, they brought back Jacoby Brissett from the Washington Commanders, whom the Patriots had drafted in the third round in 2016 with the 91st overall pick. That season, he served as the third-stringer under Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo. 

Throughout training camp, Brissett and Maye both got reps, with Brissett practicing as the starter. At the end of August, first-year Head Coach Jerod Mayo named Brissett as the starter. Fans and the media had speculated that Brissett would be the choice, given the coaches’ unwillingness to play a rookie quarterback with an unstable offensive line. Should Maye be put into this situation, he could get sacked often, which would lead to injuries. Casey Carlisle ’25 argued, “Drake Maye should get the opportunity to start a game, but I don’t want him to get hurt. He has so much potential for the future!” 

In the season opener on September 8 against the Bengals, Brissett threw for 121 yards; on September 19 at the Jets, he threw for a season-low 98 yards. In his five games as a starter this season, he has thrown for 696 yards. In comparison, two of the league’s current top quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes and CJ Stroud, have thrown for 1,235 and 1,385 yards, respectively. In addition, Brissett has been sacked 17 times, or about three sacks per game. While he hasn’t played well individually, the ongoing offensive line issues also haven’t given him the time he needs to make accurate passes. 

Is it time for a quarterback change, or is the problem centered around the lack of pass protection? The Patriots announced Maye as the starter on October 9. In response to this news, Nora Furlong ’25 remarked, “Watching Brissett play this year, I just keep wondering if Maye might do a better job, given the chance. I only saw him play a little bit in the preseason, so I’m really excited to see what he can do this weekend!” Although the offensive line is still struggling and will most likely continue toface challenges, barring a change in personnel, this quarterback change will bring a newfound energy to both the team and the fans. Maye’s first start was, Sunday, October 13, against one of the NFL’s most dominant teams, the Houston Texans. Even though the Patriots lost by 20 points, Maye threw an impressive three touchdowns and had only two interceptions. He demonstrated to Patriots fans the bright future that this organization has with him under center.