Mayo, Patriots face QB decision with major implications vs. Bills originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
We’d imagine Jerod Mayo can’t wait for the New England Patriots’ nightmare 2024 season to end. But there’s still one more very important decision the head coach needs to make.
Mayo was asked Monday morning if he’s given any consideration to sitting starting quarterback Drake Maye in the Patriots’ season finale against the Bills on Sunday, given that both teams have nothing to play for and that Buffalo likely will play its backups with the No. 2 seed in the AFC already locked up.
“I would say right now, everything is in consideration,” Mayo told reporters in a video conference. “We’ll see how the week goes.”
That’s an interesting response from Mayo, and it leaves open the possibility that he’d bench Maye in favor of backup Jacoby Brissett — or give third-string rookie Joe Milton III his first NFL snaps.
“It’s absolutely a possibility,” Mayo said when asked if the team could elevate Milton to the active roster this Sunday against Buffalo. “But like I said earlier, all things are still under consideration.”
At 3-13, the Patriots’ season is already lost. But there are two reasons why Mayo’s QB decision is a crucial one.
The first revolves around Maye’s health. The rookie QB suffered a head injury in the first quarter of Saturday’s 40-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, and while he returned in the second quarter, the last thing New England wants is for Maye to take more punishment — or worse, suffer a serious injury — in a meaningless preseason finale.
The Patriots have more than enough evidence that Maye is their QB of the future, so keeping him healthy heading into the offseason should be priority No. 1 — even if that means holding him out of the lineup.
The second reason? New England has plenty of motivation to lose Sunday.
The Patriots currently own the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft thanks to the New York Giants’ Week 17 upset of the Indianapolis Colts. If the Patriots fall to the Bills, they’ll keep that No. 1 pick. If they win, they could drop to as low as No. 4.
Owning the No. 1 pick would be a terrific development for a New England team that already has its franchise QB in Maye. The Patriots could explore trading the No. 1 selection to a QB-needy team eyeing Colorado star Shedeur Sanders, potentially landing a haul similar to what the Chicago Bears received for sending the 2023 No. 1 pick to the Carolina Panthers.
If Maye starts, there’s a chance he could lead the Patriots to an upset over the Bills’ backups. The odds of a win would diminish if Brissett or Milton start, which could benefit the team in the long run.
For what it’s worth, Mayo said his team is “100 percent focused on beating the Buffalo Bills,” and that he expects his players to “be ready to go out there and play” if they’re healthy. So, we may have to wait until later in the week to get clarity on the Patriots’ QB plan for Week 18.
Kickoff for Patriots-Bills is set for 1 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium.