The Patriots culled their quarterback room down to two players – starter Drake Maye and backup Joshua Dobbs – on Friday by waiving undrafted rookie Ben Wooldridge.
Obviously, New England doesn’t want to enter the season with just two QBs. Head coach Mike Vrabel indicated (via ESPN’s Mike Reiss) that the Patriots would add a third in the coming days, whether it be to the 53-man roster or the practice squad.
Releasing Wooldridge a few days before final cuts suggests that he won’t be the team’s third-string quarterback He dazzled in the Patriots’ first preseason game, completing nine of his 12 passes for 132 yards (11.0 yards per attempt) and a 138.2 passer rating, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). However, Wooldridge struggled across the next two games, completing 17 of 33 for just 133 yards (4.0 yards per attempt) along with one touchdown and one interception for a 58.2 passer rating. The Patriots could bring him back on the practice squad for more development, but he’s unlikely to be ready for a backup role right away if one of the team’s top two get hurt.
Instead, New England will likely scour the quarterback market in the coming days, seeing which veterans get released and which young passers are available on the waiver wire.
One in the latter group is Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito, who is expected to be released with Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, and Jaxson Dart ahead of him in New York. He had an excellent game against the Patriots on Thursday in what could’ve been an audition for his new team, per Reiss. He will be subject to waivers, so New England may have to commit a 53-man roster spot to secure his services rather than try to sign him to the practice squad.
Brian Hoyer would be the obvious choice to me. He’s the consummate journeyman QB having played for several teams in the past including the Patriots. He even managed to impress Belichick with his intelligence which is no easy thing.
That’s a crazy idea. He is about to be 40. He hasn’t played in a regular season game in 2 years and hasn’t thrown a touchdown since 2021.
Well if you’re down to relying on your number 3 QB you’re pretty much screwed anyway…lol.
Which to me means you minus well play a kid and see what you have, not a 40 year old without a future.
A kid won’t have any value as a mentor but a veteran might.
My thoughts exactly. In which case, why even have a 3rd QB on the active roster? Didn’t they change the rule around QB3’s a couple years ago?
Something like you can have a practice squad guy as your emergency 3rd quarterback. Denver did it with Zach Wilson all season last year.
Way to double down on tard
Ben DiNucci headed to NE…
Tommy Cutlets to the practice squad…..if the Giants can sneak him thru waivers….seems that the 3rd/4th QB position is popular enough that if you can walk and breathe, you’re a candidate for somebody’s practice squad…
Ryan Tannahill if he is not retired….. makes perfect sense… Vrabel’s QB in Tennessee.
Eagles release Kyle McCord… another one they should be interested in.