Jerod Mayo had a plan.
Its principles were clear even when its timeline wasn’t.
The New England Patriots’ first-year head coach would allow veteran journeyman Jacoby Brissett and rookie Drake Maye to duke it out through 2024 for the starting quarterback position.
As long as Brissett held the edge, he would start. When that was no longer apparent, Maye was the guy.
“If he beats Jacoby out, I mean, there’s nothing else really to be said — and hopefully he continues to get better,” Mayo told Yahoo Sports during an August training camp visit.