NFL Insider Adds Context To Complex Patriots QB Decision

The New England Patriots have a decision to make with under two weeks until the start of the NFL regular season.

Jacoby Brissett returned to Foxboro in the offseason as the likely choice to start the season, given his veteran status. Since then, rookie Drake Maye played his way into a legitimate debate about which quarterback should be under center on Sept. 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport contextualized the decision to be made, understanding that such a process goes much further than comparing recent performances.

"It really is a multi-faceted decision," Rapoport shared on NFL Network on Monday. "It's simply not, 'Who throws the ball well? Who played better in the last game?' Then you'd say, 'Cool. Drake Maye, get out there and go play.' It is also having a veteran who could come in and withstand all the different things that come in an NFL game. Is the offensive line good enough to block for someone that might take a split second more in making decisions?"

Rapoport knows the Patriots need to judge the team's collective chance for success between sticking with a veteran or siding with the higher potential of the rookie. Rapoport added that it's likely a matter of when Maye takes the field this season, not if he does for the Patriots.

First-year head coach Jerod Mayo added that he expected the Patriots to make a decision on the starting quarterback early this week. When that decision will be shared publicly is a different question.