Patriots' Drake Maye: No lock for Week 1 start

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Coach Jerod Mayo acknowledged Monday that Maye outplayed Jacoby Brissett (shoulder) the past few weeks, but Mayo also said he's wary of "the horror stories of rookie QBs getting thrown to the wolves," Chad Graff of The Athletic reports.

It's a not-so-subtle acknowledgment that the Patriots wouldn't have Maye in the best position for immediate success, putting him behind a shaky offensive line while throwing to a mix of young, unproven players and mediocre veterans. The third overall pick completed 21 of 34 passes (61.8 percent) for 192 yards and a TD this preseason, adding seven carries for 32 yards and another TD, while Brissett was five of 14 for 36 yards and an interception (without any rush attempts). The gap between the two presumably hasn't been so pronounced in practice, and Graff suggests that Mayo is probably leaning toward Brissett for the Week 1 start against Cincinnati even though Maye was better in preseason games. Mayo downplayed the right shoulder injury that Brissett suffered during Sunday's preseason loss to Washington.