Traditionally, the preseason finale was reserved for players on the roster bubble getting a last chance to showcase what they can offer to a team. The 2024 New England Patriots under first-year head coach Jerod Mayo will be taking a different approach.

As Mayo told reporters ahead of the Patriots’ training camp practice on Monday, the plan is for every available player to take the field on Sunday versus the Washington Commanders.

“Everyone that’s healthy is going to play in the game,” Mayo said. “Not sure what Washington is going to do, but it really doesn’t matter. It’s what we need to do. It’s what we need as a team.”

The Patriots have played two preseason games so far, and have not shied away from using some of their most valuable players on both sides of the ball. To what extent that will continue on Sunday remains to be seen, but it would not be a surprise to see starters such as Christian Gonzalez, David Andrews or DeMario Douglas again play a few series.

The same is true for the top two quarterbacks, Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye. With the two still appearing to be in an active competition for the starting role, the game against the Commanders could be another indicator who will serve as QB1 to open the regular season.

For Mayo, the competitive factor is not the only reason why he is planning to use the entirety of his roster — with some exceptions — in the final exhibition game. He also sees it as another opportunity for his team to get better, plain and simple.

“To me, the only way to get better at football is to play football,” he explained on Monday. “We can run around here in shorts, or run out here in full pads and not tackle and then get to the game, and it looks like crap. I think it’s important to get that live action and to build on our conditioning.”

The Patriots’ preseason finale in Washington will be kicked off at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 25.