Quarterback is the most important position on the football field and arguably in sports, but over the last five weeks, the New England Patriots haven't been getting the best production out of theirs.
That's why New England decided to bench Jacoby Brissett and make third-overall pick Drake Maye the team's starter for the foreseeable future.
The Patriots are hoping that the change can spark something for the team this year and set him up for a successful career.
On Wednesday, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo spoke to the media for the first time and explained his decision to make the switch.
Here's everything that Mayo said:
On why he decided to make the switch:
"I thought Jacoby, and we say it all the time, that it's all about competition, every single position. I would say, as a coach, and I know the organization feels this way, we're trying to win every game, and at the time, we thought that Jacoby would give us the best opportunity to go out there and win games, protecting the football, really running the offense. With that being said, he was a warrior. As you guys know, he's taken a lot of hits and just kept getting up. I would also say that for a guy like that to be voted as a captain in this situation and continue to be very supportive of Drake Maye, I tip my hat to Jacoby for having that egoless mentality. Going forward, I think now, Drake gives us the best chance to win now and going forward. He's been getting better every single week, as I said before, at the end of training camp, he actually was trending at a very high rate, and that has continued through the early part of the season. It was solely my decision to make this choice. I had a conversation one-on-one with Jacoby. I had a conversation with Drake. We're all on board. Jacoby's a warrior, and he took the news very well. Like a professional. Like you'd expect from a guy like that."
On Drake Maye's improvement in football acumen:
"Drake's a smart guy, and we saw that throughout the draft process. As far as understanding the offense and the language and just his overall football IQ, I think that continues to improve. I was actually pleasantly surprised even when he got there. It was never a question was he smart, but I was pleasantly surprised with his work ethic, out of this world, studying the playbook and trying to get those reps, and he continues to get better each and every day.
"Physically, this guy definitely gives a chance to get some of those off-schedule plays that you guys always see on TV."
On the process of making the change:
"I met with all of the offensive coaches, and we had a conversation. Then, we met to get, Alex Van Pelt and myself, and he was fully on board. And, once again, it goes back to who gives us the best chance to win this week.
"During training camp, at the end of training camp, we had those discussions on almost a daily basis. What do we want to do to open the season? As the season continued to progress, we won the first game, and the second game was a tight one. Then, obviously, you guys know what happened along the way. It wasn't a conversation where I was like 'Alex, we're close.' For him, as an offensive coordinator, for all of the coordinators, they have to prepare to go out here and win the game. Having those conversations in the regular season on a weekly basis is really unrealistically. With that being said, we had the conversation. He agreed with the move. It's hard. It's a hard move. One thing I have learned about quarterbacks is it's a little different than any of the other positions. We had the conversation and both agreed that this was the right way."
On when he told the team:
"I told the team this morning. These guys are on social media and all that stuff as well. Like I said, we had a conversation with Jacoby and Drake the night prior, but I told the team this morning. The same way that the full weight of the organization was behind Jacoby at the time, I expect the same thing, the full weigh of the organization to be behind Drake no matter what."
On if the plan was expedited:
"I don't think it's a secret. Our offense hasn't been performing the way we all hoped it would... I wouldn't say it was expedited. Again, at the end of training camp, he was trending up and that never slowed down. At this point, he gives us the best chance to win."
On if the team around Maye is good enough:
"Every team, even this early in the season, is still trying to figure out who they have and what they are as an organization, their identity. We're good with Drake. Every team doesn't have a one receiver, a one running back, they don't have those kind of things, but Drake is going to make us a better football team today and going forward."
On whether there was consideration given to the upcoming opponent to make the change:
"There's never a perfect time to make a change. Every defense that we play, whether it's the defensive ends or the defensive tackles, they all have the ability to rush and get after the quarterback. We're familiar with the defense. We've seen it, and he's prepared for this defense as if he was the starter. I just felt like this was the right time to do it."
On if everyone was on board:
"Eliot and ownership. All of us were on board with the change."
On if this would change captainship:
"Not at all. I expressed that to Jacoby in our one-on-one that his leadership was not just what he did on the field but also off the field. My expectation, and he agreed, was that he will continue to be a leader on our football team."
On if this is a permanent change:
"Right now, Drake Maye is our starter, today and going forward. Jacoby is our backup quarterback."
On if Maye will get 100% of the snaps:
"He'll get most of the snaps."
On if he was upset by the leak:
"A little bit. Like any type of decision that's a big decision, you want to let the team know first. In saying that, these guys, they read everything. It's fine."
On where Maye's improved the most:
"Operating the huddle. I think it starts right there. Getting the call. Getting into the huddle. Getting out of the huddle. Going out there and executing the play."
On how much he anticipates the offense changing:
"It's hard to put a percentage on how much the offense will change. We have core concepts that all of the quarterbacks have to know how to go out there and execute. His athleticism definitely opens up more plays."
On what he likes about Maye as the team's starter:
"First, you could start with his arm and just his overall athleticism."
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