Jacoby Brissett on role as mentor for Drake Maye, Patriots: ‘I hope I’m that for more than just Drake’

For the second time in his NFL career, Jacoby Brissett is preparing to suit up for the New England Patriots. Instead of arriving as the rookie ready to learn, though, he’ll be the one doing the teaching Drake Maye after he went as the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

It’s a role Brissett is embracing.

When Brissett signed his one-year deal to return to New England, the intent was for him to be a “bridge” to whichever rookie the Patriots drafted. That, of course, ended up being Maye. But Brissett understands he’s not just trying to help kickstart the former North Carolina star’s development.

He wants to lift the whole team up.

“When I was here the first time, you realize everybody’s your mentor that’s older than you in this league or has more experience, and I hope I’m that for more than just Drake,” Brissett said, via Patriots.com’s Evan Lazar. “I’m a teammate first. I can be a good teammate to not only [Maye] but to everybody on this team.”

Of course, Brissett knows what it’s like to be a rookie quarterback learning the ropes in New England, although he learned from the greatest to ever do it. His rookie year was in 2016, which was when Tom Brady helped lead the Patriots to a Super Bowl LVI title – the sixth of his legendary career.

Now, Brissett will look to play a similar role in Maye’s rookie year, and the two are already building a relationship.

“I’m excited to work with him. I remember when I was following Tom [Brady] around,” Brissett said. “He’s already texting me about plays and how I think about things and cadence – all the little nuances of being in this position at this level.”

Jacoby Brissett on the Patriots QB room: ‘Everybody wants to be the guy’

Brissett and Maye aren’t the only two quarterbacks on the Patriots’ roster. They still have Bailey Zappe and selected the strong-armed Joe Milton late in the draft, meaning the franchise is carrying four QBs into training camp.

With rookie minicamp in the books and OTAs coming up quickly, Brissett said all four are ready to compete. That’s not a bad thing, though, because it’s a winning mentality.

“I think the good thing about our room is honestly everybody wants to be the guy. Everybody’s competing to be the guy. That’s what you want,” Brissett said. “If none of us wanted to play, then our room would be messed up. Like we would be in bad hands in this organization. I think everybody understands that, and everybody wants to play.”