Jerod Mayo asserts, again, that Jacoby Brissett is Pats’ starting QB

After making his NFL debut in a lopsided loss to the Jets in Week 3, Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye did not play against the 49ers Sunday.

Coach Jerod Mayo said after the game that he did not consider playing Maye during the 30-13 loss, and on Monday morning, he told reporters that Jacoby Brissett remains the starting quarterback.

“Jacoby is 100 percent our starter,” Mayo said. “He’s 100 percent our starter and that’s how we’re going to look at this going forward.”

During his weekly radio interview on WEEI, Mayo acknowledged that his decision to keep Maye on the bench may be frustrating to those who follow the team.

“We evaluate things every single week,” Mayo said. “I think the hard part about it, all the fans, you guys in the media, want to see the third overall pick play. I understand the frustration from the fans, I understand the frustration from you guys in here.

“What we’re doing is what we think is best. What I’m doing is what I think is best for the Patriots today and also in the future, and that’s how I have to look at these things. You guys look at these things on a week-to-week basis. I think there’s a combination of multiple things that we have to deal with.”

The offensive line’s pass protection issues have intensified in recent weeks. The Patriots have given up 13 sacks over the past two games after giving up four in the first two.

Mayo was asked if he would feel comfortable putting Maye in a game behind that offensive line if Brissett happened to get injured.

“Well, that’s why he’s the backup quarterback,” Mayo said. “You know what I would say, he’s still a rookie quarterback, and for us to put all this pressure on him dealing with hypotheticals — he’s a rookie. He’s going to take his bumps and bruises along the way as well.

“I understand that part of it, but at the same time it’s not like a knight coming in and saving the world. There’s still going to be these conversations.”

The Patriots came into the season with a plan for Maye’s development, and they are sticking to it while knowing that there will be bumps along the way, Mayo said. He stuck with Brissett as the starter even after he said Maye was performing better at one time in camp.

“What we had to do was go into the regular season knowing that, look, who gives us the best chance to win right now?” Mayo said. “Just because you’re trending better in a certain way doesn’t mean you outperform from a holistic standpoint talking about the spring all the way through training camp.”

Mayo was asked why starting Brissett is the better choice at this moment.

“He’s done a good job doing what we’ve asked,” Mayo said. “Are there a lot of plays we could do a better job with? Absolutely. But I would never question his toughness, his dependability, his leadership style for this team, and that’s what we need right now.”