The New England Patriots’ quarterback competition is still up in the air, making their preseason finale against the Washington Commanders a crucial matchup.

Coach Jerod Mayo emphasized that the competition remains open, with Jacoby Brissett currently holding the top spot. “It’s still a competition, and Jacoby is still QB1,” Mayo stated. “It’s a competition amongst all of the guys on the field, including the quarterback spot.”

The rookie quarterback, Drake Maye, has been making a strong case for himself, particularly after his impressive performance in the preseason loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Maye’s confidence has been growing, and he has been playing well in subsequent practices.

Mayo acknowledged Maye’s progress, saying, “I think anyone can see the confidence growing in Drake, and anyone can see Jacoby go out here, and as a total body of work, do a good job. We’ll see how it goes.”

The Patriots are working on a tight timeline to decide on their starting quarterback for Week 1. According to Mayo, “I would say by Monday night we should know who the quarterback is. Sunday night game, it’s always kind of hard to crank through the film, especially on the road, but I think Monday, Monday-Tuesday, we probably need to know who it is.”

It will be interesting to see how much playing time Maye gets on Sunday. After playing just one series in the preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers, Maye got four drives against the Eagles, leading the offense to 10 of their 13 points in the game.

There are pros and cons to starting a rookie quarterback in Week 1, especially considering the Patriots’ tough schedule over the first six weeks. While Brissett may be the safer choice, Maye has certainly made the quarterback competition more intriguing over the past week.