Video: Tom Brady Backs Patriots' Decision to Sit Drake Maye Behind Jacoby Brissett

New England Patriots legend Tom Brady endorsed the team's patient approach with rookie quarterback Drake Maye, who will back up Jacoby Brissett in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Brady, who's now an analyst for Fox, said Tuesday on The Herd with Colin Cowherd he believes it's generally good for young passers to hold a clipboard straight out of the gate.

The surefire Hall of Famer previously expressed to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith how he thinks teams have "dumbed the game down" to accommodate inexperienced rookies.

"It used to be thought of at a higher level. We used to spend hours and hours in the offseason, in training camp, trying to be a little bit better the next year," he said. "But I think what happens is it discourages the coaches from going to deep levels, because they realize the players don't have the opportunity to go to a deep level. So they're just going to teach them where they're at."

There were undoubtedly plenty of Patriots fans who were disappointed when head coach Jerod Mayo chose Brissett over Maye. The way in which Mayo talked about the quarterback battle was a little puzzling at times, too.

After New England's 20-10 preseason loss to the Washington Commanders, the coach hesitated when asked if Maye would start for an injured Brissett if it came to that in Week 1.

Mayo then had to clarify a remark he made when he said Maye "outplayed" Brissett during the preseason, explaining he intended to say the rookie had more reps than the more experienced veteran.

Leaning on Brissett might ultimately reflect the state of the supporting cast rather than the coaching staff's opinions about the quarterbacks individually.

The Athletic's Jeff Howe reported Monday that the sources from rival teams with whom he spoke didn't feel passionately about either candidate for the Patriots "because the offensive line is shaping up to be a potentially insurmountable problem."

Even if Maye is ready to handle the NFL, it would be detrimental to his progression if he's having to work behind a leaky O-line. A young quarterback constantly under pressure is going to make the kind of mistakes that shake his self-confidence and cause him to develop bad habits.

Mayo will inevitably face questions if he makes a midseason QB change because Maye will have brought little new to the table. The coaches would, however, have more evidence to show whether or not the structure around the No. 3 overall pick is more conducive to his success.