Drake Maye might have made a strong case to be the New England Patriots starting quarterback in their preseason finale against the Washington Commanders, but Jerod Mayo might have let it slip that Jacoby Brissett is likely to be the starting quarterback.

Brissett was hurt at the end of the Patriots' first drive on Sunday, taking a hit on a sack that caused a shoulder injury. Even though Brissett didn't return, Mayo said the veteran was OK and likely would've continued to play had it been a regular-season game.

The moment left Mayo with a key question to answer though. Would Maye be ready to play if Brissett somehow wasn't ready for Week 1?

“I would like to sit here and say 100 percent [Maye's] our second-best quarterback on our roster right now,” Mayo told reporters when asked that question following Sunday's game.

When asked if that was a confirmation that Brissett is the starting quarterback in a follow-up question, Mayo avoided to make a commitment.

“Next question. I'm not sure until I watch the film,” Mayo answered.

Brissett holding the inside track to the starting quarterback job at the end of the preseason isn't much of a surprise. Mayo declared Brissett the team's QB1 at the start of training camp due to his veteran status. Brissett's workload in training camp and the regular season only cemented his spot as the leader to be the team's starting quarterback in Week 1, taking almost every single rep with the starting unit since camp opened in late July.

However, Maye has made a strong push for a starting job over the last two weeks. He led the Patriots to a pair of scoring drives, rushing for a touchdown, against the Philadelphia Eagles last week. Brissett struggled in that same game, throwing a red zone interception.

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Maye seemingly rode the momentum from that game into practice this past week and Sunday's game against the Commanders. He took a few snaps with the top offensive unit at practice for the first time before throwing for 126 yards and rushing for 17 more on Sunday. He led the Patriots to an 88-yard touchdown drive in his first possession of Sunday's game as well.

When Jerod Mayo expects to name the Patriots' starting QB for Week 1

New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo during the second half against the Washington Commanders at Commanders Field.
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Maye's performance over the last week-plus seemingly made it a debate on who New England should start at quarterback when it opens the regular season against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1. Even though the Patriots technically don't need to name one until then, Mayo anticipates that the announcement could come as soon as Monday.

“That's always the goal,” Mayo said when asked if the team still planned to name a starting quarterback in the next couple of days. “As I always say, I reserve the right to change my mind. In saying that, we gotta watch the film. We get in at three o'clock in the morning. We'll see if I can get through all the film on the plane.”

So, the countdown is officially on for Mayo and the Patriots.