New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett knows the score.
The 31-year-old is aware that he's there to help mentor No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye while simultaneously preparing to be the starter for as long as head coach Jerod Mayo needs.
Joining NFL Network's Inside Training Camp Live on Friday, Brissett acknowledged he's the ideal QB for the dichotomous approach.
"Oh, for sure, no question," he said. "… I'm probably the perfect person to mentor the guys in my room, but I'm also the perfect person for this job to start. I don't take that lightly. I came here to play first. Every time I step out on that field and my teammates see me, I want them to know that everything that comes with me comes with me, but I'm here to start. I'm here to play and win games, and that's my plan."
Brissett's career has proven he can be at the call if needed as the starter, but willing to aid other signal-callers in the interim. Whether it was in Indianapolis during the Andrew Luck saga, Miami with a young Tua Tagovailoa, Cleveland to hold the fort for Deshaun Watson, or last year aiding Sam Howell in his first full year as a starter, Brissett has always been at the ready.
The veteran entered training camp as the favorite to open the season under center. With Maye's roller-coaster sessions, that still appears to be the case. However, Brissett noted that the rookie is developing each day, which is all you can ask at this point.
"First and foremost, I'm competing with the whole room," Brissett noted when asked about battling the rookie. "I want it to be abundantly clear who's the guy. I don't want anybody questioning anything about that. From Drake, he's done a good job. He's gotten better each and every day, and that's all you can ask for, all of us. I'm out there trying to get better each and every day. I want my teammates to see me going out there and see our room getting better each and every day because, at some point, we're all gonna need each other. The standard can't change when one of us goes in, or one goes out."
Reports out of Foxborough suggest that while Maye flashes a big arm and raw talent, he's struggled to get through his reads at times and made errors. Those are expected hiccups for a young signal-caller who many scouts believed needed some seasoning before being tossed onto the fire.
Brissett told reporters Friday that his message to Maye has been just to continue to compete every day.
"Keep going, man. It's a long training camp," he said. "I think you always want somebody to come out there, and he's like… Be the best you can right now, you know? It's just unrealistic. The best thing that he's doing is putting one foot in front of the other, going back out there, competing. The plays are gonna make themselves. It's just about doing the little things day in and day out that's gonna give you a chance to make the right play."
Eventually, Maye will wrangle the starting gig away from Brissett. The veteran knows. His job is to help shepherd the rookie until he's ready to take over for good.
