PATRIOTS FREE AGENTS: Jacoby Brissett
NOTABLE EXTERNAL FREE AGENTS: Jameis Winston, Jarrett Stidham, Jimmy Garoppolo, Joe Flacco, Justin Fields, Marcus Mariota, Teddy Bridgewater, Taylor Heinicke
The Patriots enter the offseason without needing a starting quarterback, which has to feel good for head coach Mike Vrabel and EVP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf.
After selecting second-year QB Drake Maye with the third-overall pick in last year's NFL Draft, Maye acclimated himself well in year one. Despite a limited supporting cast around him, Maye ranked 17th among 32 qualified quarterbacks in ESPN's QBR metric, second-best among rookies behind only Offensive Rookie of the Year, Jayden Daniels.
Maye's rapid improvement in his footwork and mechanics led to him ranking 11th in completion percentage over expectation (+2.8), and he was fifth in expected points added generated on scrambles (+32.2). Maye proved that he can play on time from the pocket, while also adding the highly-coveted skill of off-script playmaking. The next step for the promising Pats QB is cutting down on turnovers. Although his rookie season was a success, Maye had the eighth-highest turnover-worthy play rate among qualified quarterbacks. Maye threw 10 interceptions and lost five fumbles as a rookie, so that's an area he'll need to improve on moving forward.
In a down year for quarterbacks in the draft, New England luckily secured its quarterback of the future last offseason. If he was in the 2025 NFL Draft, Maye would likely be the No. 1 overall pick. Now, the only question for the Patriots is who will serve as Maye's backup?
Following an impressive Week 18 performance, 2024 sixth-rounder Joe Milton made a case to be QB2 next season. Milton has high-end physical traits with excellent arm talent, size, and mobility. Like Maye, Milton improved in the details, such as mechanics, timing, and reading coverages. However, it's worth noting that Milton's strong showing in a win over the Bills was a glorified preseason game, with both teams playing their backups in the regular-season finale.
At the very least, Milton proved a worthy developmental asset for the team. Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft said, "Looks like we lucked out. We maybe have two quarterbacks," at a press conference in January.
Although it's premature to crown either second-year QB, the future is bright for both Maye and Milton. Maye is this team's future, while Milton is proving a worthy backup and potential trade chip. From this perspective, having quality quarterback depth on a cost-controlled rookie contract is extremely valuable. Unless a team blows the Pats away with an offer for Milton, it makes sense to keep Milton along with Maye until New England is forced to move the sixth-rounder, as former coach Bill Belichick did with Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett.
Speaking of Brissett, the veteran backup is an unrestricted free agent. With Maye and Milton rostered, the Patriots must determine if the veteran mentor role still has value to the team. Brissett signed a one-year deal with the Patriots in free agency last offseason to serve as a short-term starter and mentor to Maye in a familiar system for the veteran under former offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.
Brissett wasn't expected to lead the Patriots to a winning season as the bridge starter. In the sense of keeping the seat warm for Maye and mentoring the Pats young QB room, Brissett did an admirable job. He is familiar with the current OC Josh McDaniels's system from his first stint with the Patriots, but given the difficult season Brissett had in Foxborough a year ago, it would be understandable if he moves on.
If the Patriots want to fill the void with an experienced voice who can help Maye learn McDaniels's offense, former Patriots quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Jarrett Stidham are free agents. Starting with the former second-round pick by the Patriots, Garoppolo signed in Vegas as McDaniels's starter for the 2023 season. Although things didn't go as planned for the Raiders, there's familiarity there. Stidham spent the past two seasons in Denver. The former Pats draft pick was in a tight-knit quarterback room with starter Bo Nix and backup Zach Wilson for the Broncos in 2024.
Other veteran mentor options with less experience in McDaniels's offense are former Browns QB Jameis Winston and Colts backup Joe Flacco. Flacco and Winston could continue helping Maye adjust to life as a pro, but they wouldn't be one-for-one replacements for Brissett because they'd be new to the offense that McDaniels plans to install.
Ultimately, the Patriots will likely add at least one more signal-caller to fill the quarterback room for training camp. Although all the developmental reps should go to Maye and Milton, it's rare for a team to go into camp with only two quarterbacks on the roster. It makes sense for the Pats to sign a low-cost backup with some experience, whether Brissett returns or another veteran mentor signs to help Maye through his second season.
The Patriots are in great shape at quarterback with the franchise's future secured, but don't be surprised if they add an experienced backup.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
