Jacoby Brissett had every right to be feeling himself after the Patriots' season opener.
Brissett was a subject of some criticism leading up to New England's Week 1 matchup in Cincinnati. Many Patriots fans were pretty underwhelmed when the 31-year-old was named the starting quarterback, especially after head coach Jerod Mayo admitted Drake Maye outplayed Brissett in the preseason.
The ninth-year pro didn't dazzle last Sunday at Paycor Stadium, but he did his job to a tee. Brissett successfully managed the road contest, made timely plays with both his arm and legs and inspired tremendous confidence in the offense. He was one of the biggest reasons why the Patriots kicked off their 2024 campaign with a win.
But even after an impressive performance, Brissett didn't lose sight of the other role New England gave him back in the spring. NBC Sports Boston's Kayla Burton on Wednesday shared a clip of Brissett working with Maye at practice. Brissett in late August vowed to help Maye with "whatever he needs" in his rookie season, and the recent teaching session suggested the former plans to keep that promise.
Brissett deserves a ton of credit for keeping Maye's development top of mind. The 2016 third-round pick has a full plate as New England's starter, and since he's playing on a one-year contract, he's working to give himself options this offseason. It would be tough to blame Brissett if his mentorship of Maye fell by the wayside.
But it doesn't seem like that will be the case, and that's a tremendous sign for Mayo and company.
