Jacoby Brissett was brought in by the New England Patriots this offseason to serve as a bridge, a quarterback to line up under center while the long-term future of the position in Drake Maye sits safely on the sideline. The bridge ended up rather short, however, as Brissett's play combined with the Patriots' 1-4 record to open the year led to Jerod Mayo benching the journeyman for the rookie heading into Week 6.
Earlier this week, Maye and Mayo met with media to break down the decision. On Thursday, it was Brissett's turn to face the music. He has taken the turn of events like a true vet with little complaint and had several classy messages for the young buck replacing him.
"I told somebody this the other day, 'I've been through harder things in my life. I'm sure this won't be the last time I go through something hard," Brissett said when asked how he was dealing with the news. "So I'll be all right. Drake asked me how I'm doing and I'm like 'Man, if you're worried about me, you're worried about the wrong thing right now.' I can take care of myself. I obviously appreciated that, but I'll be all right."
Brissett went on to compliment Maye and make it clear there's no animosity.
"Great kid. Great kid. No malice in my heart toward him. I just want the best for him. I'm very excited for him."
All class from the veteran quarterback.
Maye will make his first start on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET against the Houston Texans in front of his home fans at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Patriots' Jacoby Brissett Had Classy Messages for Drake Maye After Getting Benched .