Jacoby Brissett

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said Jacoby Brissett is “the most pro-ready guy we have.”

The implication, of course, is that rookie QB Drake Maye — the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft — is not pro ready. Maye would have to stun New England coaches in training camp and the preseason to have any chance of usurping Brissett as the team’s Week 1 starter. “If he goes out there and lights it up, it absolutely could happen,” Mayo said of Maye. Unless the Pats’ season goes sideways in a hurry — a definite possibility — Maye might not see the field until late in the season. Brissett has proven a viable game manager in recent starting stints with the Colts and Browns.