New England Patriots starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett sustained an injury to his throwing shoulder during the first quarter of Sunday’s 20-10 preseason loss to the Washington Commanders. Despite the setback, head coach Jerod Mayo indicated that Brissett could have continued playing if the game plan had required it. “I spoke with him, and we’ll assess the situation on Monday. You always feel a bit sorer the next day,” Mayo commented. “But he assured me he was okay.”
The injury occurred on the sixth offensive play when Brissett was sacked by Washington’s KJ Henry, who broke through due to a blocking mistake. The 6-foot-4, 255-pound Henry landed directly on Brissett’s right shoulder, causing Brissett to clutch the shoulder with his left hand as he got back on his feet. Despite the obvious discomfort, Brissett stayed in the game long enough to complete a 6-yard pass on the following play, followed by a deep throw to K.J. Osborn that was unfortunately dropped.
Brissett was then pulled from the game, as planned, to allow rookie Drake Maye to play through the end of the second quarter. “He could have kept playing,” Mayo explained regarding Brissett, who spent the rest of the night on the sidelines.
In Brissett’s absence, Maye went 13-of-20 for 126 yards and one touchdown on his first drive. He also added a crucial 17-yard run that helped set up the team’s only touchdown. If Brissett’s injury proves to be more serious, Mayo and his coaching staff will need to decide whether to hand the reins to Maye, the third overall pick in the draft. However, Mayo was noncommittal after the game, stating that he needed to review the film before making a decision. “I’d love to say 100 percent that he’s our second-best quarterback right now,” Mayo said.
Adding to the complexity of the situation is the performance of the offensive line, which struggled significantly on Sunday. The Patriots’ top unit, minus center David Andrews, was flagged for eight penalties, including alignment issues that resulted in four flags. There was also a bad shotgun snap, a botched center-quarterback exchange, and the blocking breakdown that led to Brissett’s injury.
With Brissett’s status uncertain, the Patriots are left with Drake Maye, rookie Joe Milton III, and third-year veteran Bailey Zappe on the quarterback depth chart as they approach Tuesday’s deadline to cut the roster to 53 players. Since the start of training camp, Mayo has maintained that Brissett is the starter, but he’s also left the door open for Maye to win the job if he performs exceptionally well.
When asked if he feels ready to step up for the season opener, Maye confidently responded, “Yeah, I think I’m ready. I’m prepared for whatever this team needs from me and ready to help us beat the Bengals in Week 1.”
