The Patriots will allow rookie Drake Maye to make one final push for the starting quarterback job before Week 1.

Whether that comes with first-team reps in practice this week is to be determined, however, according to head coach Jerod Mayo.

“I do,” Mayo said Friday morning when asked if he still sees a competition between Maye and veteran Jacoby Brissett for the Week 1 starting job. “We have three more days of training camp practices, and it’s our job as coaches to evaluate, and the competition isn’t over. They’re still going to go out there, and they have to show not only themselves and their coaches, but also their teammates. So it’s definitely still a competition.”

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Maye, who was 6-of-11 for 47 yards with a rushing touchdown, outplayed Brissett during Thursday night’s preseason loss to the Eagles. Brissett started and was just 3-of-7 for 17 yards with an interception that Mayo called “a poor play, terrible play” that the veteran QB forced with other receivers open. Maye should have had another long completion on a perfect throw to Javon Baker that the rookie wide receiver dropped while hitting the ground.

It hasn’t looked like much of a competition through the first three weeks of training camp. Brissett has taken all first-teap reps in practice, and he’s started both preseason games. Mayo said the staff will decide Friday if Maye has earned starting reps over the final stretch of training camp.

“We’ll see. We’ll have a staff meeting later on today, and that decision will be made,” Mayo said. “I do think he definitely showed improvement yesterday as a whole, and we’ll see what happens going forward.”

Mayo said Maye’s lack of first-team reps up to this point had been part of the staff’s plan for the rookie QB, but “you have to adjust those plans based on the competition.”

Maye looked better in Thursday’s preseason game than he had in practice, in part, because he could use his mobility to create plays even with pressure bearing down on him. Maye appears to take a slew of sacks in practice, because he’s asked to stay in the pocket. The rookie rolled out of the pocket Thursday to avoid some sacks and turn them into throwaways.

“Some of the things that happened over the last couple of weeks was just stepping up into pressure, and I thought he did a better job overall with using his legs and really extending plays, and he made some good throws,” Mayo said. “We didn’t come down with the catch, but he definitely took a step forward.

Maye did take one sack when there appeared to be miscommunication between running back Kevin Harris and left tackle Vederian Lowe. Harris chipped Eagles outside linebacker Nolan Smith, which redirected the pass rusher away from Lowe.

“To see him take a hit like that is definitely unfortunate, but I would say, as a whole, I thought he moved around a lot better,” Mayo said.

Maye certainly was not perfect in Thursday’s preseason game, and Mayo pointed out one area where the 2024 third overall pick still needs to develop.

“I think first and foremost is just the entire operation, I think it needs to be faster,” Mayo said. “I think he needs to get those guys in the huddle faster, get them out of the huddle faster and get to the line and just be on point. I think that’s definitely a thing that he has to work on. And I think he is and, like I said, we have three more days of camp, and that’s going to be my point of emphasis for him.”

Expect to see more of both Maye and Brissett in the Patriots’ final preseason game next Sunday in Washington against the Commanders.

“I think the entire offense definitely needs to play, continue to jell, and that’s what we’re going to do,” Mayo said Friday morning.”

That game could be Maye’s final chance to pass Brissett on the QB depth chart before the team begins preparing for their Week 1 matchup with the Bengals.