Foxboro Mass Patriots coach gerod Mayo is putting the keys to his offense in the hands of the veteran quarterback on his roster over the franchise's potential quarterback of the future Mayo selected jacobe briset as the starting quarterback for New England's season opener at Cincinnati one of the biggest decisions of the rookie head coach's tenure briset gets the nod over rookie firstr draft pick Drake May who he shared snaps with throughout training camp in the preseason season it's been a lot of work a lot of long days and long nights the journey to get to this point briset said I'm grateful for this opportunity but I'm also excited for it Mayo said he spoke to briset and may separately and later together to inform them of his decision Mayo told the team Thursday morning during a team meeting there were a lot of factors that led to this Choice Mayo said I think the hard part is thinking in the short term and the long term at the same time as an organization though we feel like jacobe gives us our best chance to win but Mayo made it clear that they aren't heading into the season planning to shuffle between quarterbacks as an organization we're 100% behind jacobe there is no we've got a guy right here we've got a guy right there Mayo said as long as jacobe is going out there and Performing the way that we all have confidence in him doing then he'll be our quarterback this season May said he'll prepare like the starter while helping the team in whatever way he can as Bret's backup he also brushed off the idea of him feeling disappointed by Mayo's decision obviously I want to play the Competitive Edge in me said May the number three pick out of North Carolina at the same time I understand the situation briset who heading into his ninth NFL season signed a one-year $8 million deal with the Patriots in March it United him with the team that drafted him in the third round in 2016 briset spent Just One initial season in New England starting two games while Tom Brady served his 4 game deflate gate suspension after being traded to Indianapolis by the Patriots in 2017 briset spent four years with the Colts and had one-year stops in Miami Cleveland and Washington he's appeared in 79 games with 48 starts along the way growing into a respected veteran in the league it makes the return to New England as the opening week starter at age 31 meaningful for briset nothing I take for granted that's for sure he said Bret's experience was valuable to Mayo and the new Executive Vice President of player Personnel Elliot wolf who wanted to have a proven veteran on the roster to help Mentor May while Mayo acknowledged earlier this week that he felt may had outplayed briset this preseason he said other factors shifted the pendulum toward briset most notably his overall experience that will be particularly important early this season as the coaching staff continues to work out consistency issues with an offensive line that will begin the season without starting left guard Cole strange who will start on the physically unable to perform list with a knee issue May feels he presented his best case to win the job I felt like I had a good camp I feel like I'm throwing it well played well throughout the preseason season he said so other than that keep my head down and keep working I don't think anything's changed I came into this Camp working and studying hard to be the starter nothing's going to change I'm still one play away I have to be ready for all circumstances I'm here to help jacobe briset said he feels like May will only continue to get better he's done a great job dating back to when he first got here to where he is now is Lighty years difference briset said I'm excited for his future he's going to be obviously a good quarterback in this league he just kind of came up to me and was like whatever you need I'm here for it and it's the same thing for him whatever he needs from me I'll do the same