Patriots preseason finale confirms there should be no QB controversy at all

Throughout NFL history, plenty of teams have faded into irrelevancy after the retirement of their Hall of Fame head coach or Hall of Fame quarterback. The Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos are still struggling to establish an offensive identity after the departure of quarterback Peyton Manning.

Other organizations have managed to stay afloat by having the foresight to develop their next franchise quarterback ahead of time. The San Francisco 49ers had Steve Young ready to step in for Joe Montana, and the Green Bay Packers are hoping that Jordan Love will follow Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre as the franchise's third consecutive Hall of Fame quarterback.

Without legendary head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady, the New England Patriots are at a pivotal crossroads for the future of their franchise. Although the NFL's greatest dynasty has finally fallen, new head coach Jerod Mayo and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf are hoping to usher in a new era of success.

When the Patriots selected North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, they didn't expect him to start in his rookie season. Instead, New England signed veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett to serve as a stopgap starter and mentor for Maye.

Drake Maye continued to outperform Jacoby Brissett in the preseason

Despite the team's plans, Brissett's role on the team may not be as secure as it seemed. Maye was believed to need time to develop before he could successfully lead an offense in the NFL, but the rookie has outperformed Brissett throughout the preseason.

Brissett started the Patriots preseason finale against the Washington Commanders on Sunday night, but he was underwhelming in his short time on the field. The veteran quarterback completed 2 of his 4 passes for 19 yards on 8 snaps. Brissett suffered a shoulder injury early in the first quarter after a miscommunication in pass protection led to a brutal sack.

The offensive line issues continued after Brissett's injury, as a poor shotgun snap from backup center Nick Leverett nearly resulted in a turnover. Maye fell on the ball and got to work.

Maye converted a third-and-14 with a 17-yard run. That was followed by a beautiful 29-yard completion to wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk and another third-down conversion with a 16-yard pass to wideout Pop Douglas. The rookie quarterback capped off the drive with a 17-yard touchdown to running back Kevin Harris.

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo left the door open for a quarterback competition after Maye impressed early in the preseason, and the decision may be a lot closer than he initially anticipated. Still, it may be a good idea to let Maye develop a bit more if Brissett is healthy enough to play.

Porous offensive lines have ruined young quarterbacks before — the Colts offensive line even forced former quarterback Andrew Luck into retirement. The Patriots offensive line was among the worst in the league last season. The Patriots started 11 different offensive linemen in 2023, third-most in the NFL.

So far, the offensive line has continued to look abysmal throughout the preseason. Young quarterbacks already have plenty on their plate and shouldn't need to be concerned with significant breakdowns in the protection scheme.

Maye also strictly took snaps from shotgun formations at North Carolina and still needs to refine his mechanics. Despite the rising temptation to start the electrifying rookie, taking a patient approach with Maye would likely be wiser — even if he has won the quarterback competition.