Head coach Jerod Mayo still wasn’t ready to name a starting quarterback Sunday night after the Patriots’ preseason finale against the Commanders.

But after calling rookie Drake Maye the “second-best quarterback” on the roster behind veteran Jacoby Brissett, it seems we know which way Mayo is leaning in his decision.

Still, however, Maye said he feels ready to start if called upon Week 1 against the Bengals.

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“Yeah, I think I would feel ready,” Maye said. “I think I’m ready for whatever this football team asks of me and ready to get out there and help us beat the Bengals Week 1.”

Brissett left Sunday’s game after just one series. After Maye had replaced him, the Patriots announced Brissett was questionable to return with a right shoulder injury that was suffered on a sack.

Mayo said after the game that the plan all along was to play Brissett for just one series and that the quarterback could have kept playing despite the shoulder injury. He also wouldn’t say if he would start Maye if Brissett isn’t ready for Week 1.

The quarterback competition has been tight over the second half of the summer, but the Patriots still haven’t given Maye any first-team reps in practice. That hasn’t affected him in his preseason performance, however, and he’s looked like one of the Patriots’ best players in their last two exhibition games.

Maye went 13-of-20 for 125 yards with a touchdown pass in Sunday’s loss to the Commanders. He also had a 48-yard touchdown pass on the run nullified by a penalty on his offensive line.

Even if Maye is the better quarterback and is ready to start Week 1, it still could make sense for the Patriots to hold him back since it’s clear that their offensive line is still having trouble protecting quarterbacks and even aligning correctly after Sunday’s game.