Jerod Mayo says he has decided on Patriots starting quarerback

The pick is in.

Patriots coach Jerod Mayo told reporters Wednesday that he has decided which quarterback will start for the Patriots in the season opener against Cincinnati on Sept. 8.

He did not tell reporters which quarterback he picked.

“We’ve made a decision, just haven’t communicated it. Honestly, I want those guys to hear it first from me before they hear it from someone else.”

Wednesday was a hectic day as the Patriots continued to work on their roster after trimming it to 53 players on Tuesday, Mayo explained when asked why the announcement couldn’t be made at that moment.

“As much as you want to have squad meetings, some times the time doesn’t permit that,” Mayo said.

The Patriots are choosing between veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett and No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye. Mayo confirmed that he has the final say on which quarterback will start.

“If you want to talk about the process, Alex (Van Pelt) and myself will have those conversations, but he gets input from his coaches as well, and ultimately it’s my decision to make.”

Mayo later added that Eliot Wolf has input in the decision-making process.

“He definitely weighs in, but I would say once again that it’s my decision to make,” Mayo said. “A lot of people have opinions about things and I’ve lost quite a bit of sleep trying to think about this stuff as well, but I would ultimately put it on me.”

Brissett said during a recent interview on WEEI that he believes he is still the starting quarterback. Brissett was named the starter heading into camp, but a late push from Maye has changed the conversation and made the competition much closer.

“I think all the players, not just the quarterbacks, have to have that confidence that they should be starters,” Mayo said. “I’m not going to dig too far into that. That’s his opinion and we all have one.”

Mayo last week that Maye has outplayed Brissett. However, there are concerns about starting the rookie quarterback behind an offensive line that is struggling. Mayo pointed out that things could change after his decision is announced.

“I think it’s important to remember what’s good for the team today may not be good for the team weeks down the line,” Mayo said. “So, I think the challenge is you want to win every single game now, but also we’re trying to build something special here.”