The New England Patriots had a couple of key roster battles throughout the preseason, but there is one that everyone has been keeping an eye on. 

Drake Maye vs. Jacoby Brissett. 

The Rookie vs. the Veteran. 

Who will be the starter when the Patriots travel to take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1?

"Yeah, so I know everyone wants to know that," Mayo told reporters on Wednesday. "I'm going to talk to the individual players tomorrow. I'm going to have a team meeting tomorrow and then I'll get it to you guys.

So has an official decision been made? 

"Yes, we've made a decision, just haven't communicated," he added. "Honestly, I want those guys to hear it first from me before they hear it from someone else."

If that's the case, why not tell the players today? 

"Because I'd rather do it tomorrow," Mayo explained. "Today, look, this morning was a hectic day. We were still working through the roster and things like that. As much as you want to have squad meetings, sometimes the time just doesn't permit that.

This is the biggest decision Mayo will have to make since being named head coach of the New England Patriots. Yes, he had to go through roster cuts and get it from 90 to 53 players. But this is something that is expected to define his first season. 

He brought in offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt to help develop the quarterbacks, so naturally he will be a part of that decision. But Mayo cleared up who will have the final say. 

"If you want to talk about the process, Alex [Van Pelt], myself, we just have those conversations, but he gets input from his coaches as well," Mayo said. "Ultimately, it's my decision to make."

There are pros and cons for both quarterbacks to start, so it's a tough one for Mayo and the coaching staff. 

"When it's all said and done, you just want to make sure you're doing what's best for the team and what's best for this organization," he explained. 

And breaking the news to the team will be interesting. 

"I'm sure they all have an opinion on who they think should be the starting quarterback, but I don't think I have to explain it to anyone else," Mayo stated. "It's my decision.

"Look, if it doesn't work, blame me, blame me. I would say one thing, I think it's important to remember what's good for the team today may not be good for the team weeks down the line."

This Patriots team is not competing for a Super Bowl this season. They are in a rebuild and looking to construct the foundation for the future. 

"So, I think the challenge is you want to win every single game now, but also we're trying to build something special here in New England. So that to me, that was a challenge."