The day before the New England Patriots kicked off their first training camp in the post-Bill Belichick era, new head coach Jerod Mayo announced that veteran Jacoby Brissett would start as the team’s quarterback.

On Tuesday, Mayo spoke with reporters and also mentioned Drake Maye, the third overall draft pick, and the potential for him to take over the starting role if he performs well in practices and preseason games.

“If Maye lights it up, it absolutely could happen,” Mayo stated, “but for now, Jacoby is the starting quarterback.”

The Patriots currently have four quarterbacks on the roster: Brissett, Maye, Bailey Zappe, and Joe Milton. Zappe started the last six games of the previous season, and Milton was drafted in the sixth round after playing at Michigan and Tennessee.

Returning to the team where he started his career, Brissett was originally drafted by the Patriots in the third round in 2016 and played during Tom Brady‘s “Deflategate” suspension. Patriots center David Andrews praised Brissett’s leadership qualities from his rookie season.

At 31, Brissett’s return is partly due to his previous experience with new Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. During the 2022 season, Brissett threw for 2,608 yards with the Cleveland Browns, where Van Pelt served as offensive coordinator.

Brissett emphasized the importance of focusing on training camp and taking it one day at a time. “It’s a long journey. Enjoy the process and the dog days of training camp,” he said.