Jacoby Brissett suffers shoulder injury in Patriots loss

New England Patriots starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett suffered a throwing shoulder injury in the first quarter of Sunday's 20-10 loss to the Washington Commanders. Coach Jerod Mayo said the veteran could have continued if the plan had been to let him play longer.

“I spoke to him, but we will see [Monday]. You always feel a little sore the next day,” Mayo said. “But he said he was fine.”

Brissett grimaced after being sacked by Washington's KJ Henry on the sixth offensive play. The 6-foot-4, 255-pound Henry got free on a blocking error and landed with full force on Brissett's right shoulder. As Brissett stood up, he put his left hand across his chest and cupped the front of his shoulder.

He stayed in the game, completed a 6-yard pass on the next play and then threw the pinpoint long throw to receiver KJ Osborn, but it was dropped.

Brissett was then taken out of the game, which Mayo said was planned in advance so that freshman Drake Maye could play until the end of the second quarter.

“He could have continued,” Mayo said of Brissett, who spent the rest of the evening on the bench.

In place of Brissett, Maye completed 13 of 20 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown, which came on his first drive. Maye also had a 17-yard run that was a key play that set up the team's only touchdown.

If Brissett's injury proves more serious, Mayo and his coaching staff will decide if they are willing to let Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, take over the role. Mayo declined to comment after Sunday's game, saying he has yet to review the footage.

“I want to sit here and say with 100 percent certainty that he is the second-best quarterback on our roster right now,” Mayo said.

That possibility may be complicated by the surrounding offensive line, especially at the line. The Patriots' best offensive line (minus center David Andrews) received eight penalties on Sunday, plus a bad shotgun snap, another botched center-quarterback exchange and a blocking error on the play that sacked Brissett. Four of the eight penalties were for misalignment — three against left tackle Chukwuma Okorafor and one against right tackle Mike Onwenu.

In addition to Brissett and Maye, the Patriots have rookie Joe Milton III and third-year veteran Bailey Zappe on the roster at quarterback until Tuesday's deadline to trim the roster to 53 players.

Since the start of training camp, Mayo has consistently stressed that Brissett is the starter and that Maye has a chance at the job if he “does everything right.”

When asked if he would feel ready if he was called up 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 go out there and try to help beat the Bengals in Week 1.”