Credit: USA Today Sports
New England Patriots starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett suffered a shoulder injury in his throwing arm during the first quarter of the team’s 20-10 preseason loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday. Despite the setback, head coach Jerod Mayo said Brissett could have continued playing if the plan had been for him to stay in the game longer.
“I talked to him, but we’ll see [Monday]. You always feel a little bit more sore the next day,” Mayo said. “But he said he was good.”
Injury Details
Brissett sustained the injury when Washington’s KJ Henry sacked him on the sixth offensive play of the game. Henry, who is 6-foot-4 and 255 pounds, came in unblocked and landed heavily on Brissett’s right shoulder. As Brissett got up, he clutched the front of his shoulder with his left hand, showing signs of pain.
Despite the injury, Brissett stayed in the game long enough to complete a 6-yard pass and attempt a deep throw to K.J. Osborn, which was dropped. Coach Mayo then pulled Brissett as planned, allowing rookie quarterback Drake Maye to finish the second quarter.”
“He would have been able to continue,” Mayo said of Brissett, who spent the remainder of the game on the sideline.
In Brissett’s absence, Maye completed 13 of 20 passes for 126 yards and one touchdown on his first drive. He also had a key 17-yard run that helped set up the team’s only touchdown.
Offensive Line Woes
If Brissett’s injury turns out to be more serious, Mayo and his coaching staff will need to evaluate whether they are comfortable starting Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft. Mayo was non-committal on that decision after the game, saying he needed to review the game footage.
“I would like to sit here and say 100 percent, he is our second-best quarterback on our roster right now,” Mayo said.
Complicating matters is the performance of the Patriots’ offensive line, which struggled throughout the game. The top offensive line unit, minus center David Andrews, was penalized eight times, including four penalties for improper alignment. The unit also had a bad shotgun snap, a botched center-quarterback exchange, and the blocking error that led to Brissett’s injury.
Roster Decisions
As the Patriots approach Tuesday’s deadline to trim the roster to 53 players, they have four quarterbacks in the mix: Brissett, Maye, rookie Joe Milton III, and third-year veteran Bailey Zappe. From the start of training camp, Mayo has consistently stated that Brissett is the starter, with Maye having a chance to win the job if he “lights it up.”
When asked if he feels ready to start if called upon for the season opener, Maye said, “Yeah, I think I would feel ready. I think I’m ready for whatever this football team asks of me and ready to get out there and try to help beat the Bengals Week 1.”
This report used information from ESPN.
