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Drake Maye tries to replace GOAT for the last time

Vaseline October 20, 2024

The New England Patriots spent the first two decades of the 21st century without having to worry much about the quarterback position.

That changed during the 2020 NFL season, when Tom Brady became an unrestricted free agent for the first time at age 42. He decided to leave the Patriots and join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, officially ending the partnership between Brady and Bill Belichick after twenty years and six years. Super Bowls.

Since then, New England has been searching for Brady’s successor. Replacing the veteran quarterback — who made 283 starts of a possible 304 after debuting as a starter in 2001 — has proven to be a tough task for the Patriots. They’ve tried a handful of options at the position, but none have worked out yet.

The Patriots’ post-Brady quarterback carousel may not be as long as the recent ones for the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets, but it has certainly been a culture shock for New England fans used to consistency at the position. Here’s a look at the options the team has tried at quarterback since Brady’s departure in 2020.

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Kam Newton

Employment: 2020
Begins: 15
File: 7-8

For the first few months after Brady’s departure, Patriots fans assumed Jarrett Stidham would be the team’s starting quarterback. He and Brian Hoyer were the only quarterbacks on New England’s roster for most of the offseason, so it stood to reason that the team would give the 2019 fourth-round pick a chance to prove himself during the COVID-19 pandemic. affected 2019 season.

Instead, the Patriots changed course and signed Cam Newton as a free agent in July. The veteran quarterback played just two games for the Carolina Panthers the previous season due to a nagging foot injury. He remained unsigned after his release in March, thanks in part to his checkered injury history, before the Patriots gave him a shot.

Newton won the Patriots’ starting job and made all but one start during the 2020 season. He completed 65.8 percent of his passes — the second-highest single-season total of his career — but struggled to get the ball consistently moving down the field, throwing for 2,657 yards, 8 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Newton held on to the starting job despite these issues as he was still able to run the ball at a solid clip. He generated 592 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground, but his 4.3 yards per carry average was the second-lowest of his career (excluding the 2019 campaign, in which he ran just five times before being put on IR) .

Still, Newton clearly wasn’t the same player he was during his MVP season peak in 2015. Several shoulder injuries had sapped his arm strength, while his speed waned due to his clumsy foot. For example, the Patriots replaced Newton during the 2021 offseason and ultimately released him before the season started.

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Brian Hoyer

Employment: 2020-22
Begins: 2
File: 0-2

Hoyer had three stints with the Patriots during his career. The last came between 2020 and 2022, supporting Newton and Mac Jones.

Hoyer made two starts during that three-year span, the first coming in Week 4 of the 2020 season against the Kansas City Chiefs when Newton had COVID-19. He completed a respectable 15 of 24 passes in that game, but threw for only 130 yards and an interception in a 26–10 loss.

Hoyer didn’t start for the Patriots again until two years later, in Week 4 of the 2022 season against the Green Bay Packers. He got the start after Jones suffered a high ankle sprain against the Baltimore Ravens but suffered a concussion after playing just 15 snaps. That marked the veteran’s last start with the Patriots.

Employment: 2021-23
Begins: 42

Jones was the first significant investment the Patriots made in their efforts to replace Brady. While Newton was seen as a stopgap on an affordable one-year contract, New England spent the 15th pick in the 2021 NFL draft on Jones. That indicated the Patriots were serious about developing him into a quality starting quarterback.

Things started off well in Jones’ first season. He led the Patriots to a 10-7 record and a playoff appearance while completing 67.6 percent of his passes for 3,802 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He finished second in Rookie of the Year voting to Ja’Marr Chase, was voted to the Pro Bowl and looked like he would develop into a good starting quarterback in New England.

However, Josh McDaniels left the Patriots in the 2022 offseason to take the Las Vegas Raiders coaching gig. Belichick opted to replace him with the combination of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, two former head coaches with expertise in defense and special teams, as offensive coordinator.

Jones deteriorated seriously under their leadership. His stats in all major categories dropped significantly as he couldn’t get close to the play-callers and was under a lot of pressure behind a demeaning offensive line. Jones showed a worrying tendency to take sacks and commit staggering turnovers in the new offense, while regularly showing frustration with Patricia in the game.

The Patriots attempted to correct their mistake in 2023 by hiring Bill O’Brien to replace Patricia and Judge. By then, Jones’ confidence had been destroyed. He continued to have issues with sacks and turnovers in 2023, which many took as evidence that McDaniels’ system had made Jones look like a better quarterback than he actually was.

Jones went 8-17 during his final two seasons with the Patriots, completing 65.1 percent of his passes for 5,117 yards, 24 touchdowns and 23 interceptions while recording 56 sacks. New England underwent major changes following the 2023 season after Belichick was fired. That included trading Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a sixth-round pick who became Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton.

It also officially marked the end of Jones’ once-promising attempt to develop into Brady’s successor.

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The Patriots surprisingly spent a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft on Zappe after Jones’ rookie year. The Western Kentucky product projected himself as a backup behind Jones, but his performance as a rookie led to calls for Jones to start again.

Zappe started twice during his rookie season and appeared in four games. He completed 70.7 percent of his passes for 781 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions while looking better for the Patricia offense than Jones.

Nevertheless, New England remained committed to Jones until Week 12 of the 2023 season. At that point, Zappe took over as the Patriots starter and posted a 2-4 record the rest of the way. He wasn’t as sharp as he was during his rookie season and struggled with interceptions, lacking the arm strength necessary to consistently push the ball downfield.

Zappe completed 59.9 percent of his passes for 1,272 yards, six touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2023. He was released by the Patriots before the 2024 NFL season and landed on the Chiefs’ practice squad.

Employment: 2024–present
Begins: 5

The Patriots completely revamped their quarterback room during the 2024 offseason, and it started with signing Brissett to a one-year deal. The logic was that Brissett, a veteran the Patriots originally selected in the third round of the 2016 draft, would serve as a bridge to whichever rookie New England chose with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft .

That’s exactly what happened. Brissett started the first five games of the 2024 season before giving way to Drake Maye. Brissett was his usual steady self — completing 58.5 percent of his passes for 696 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception — but didn’t provide the Patriots with much playmaking ability. That, plus Brissett’s 1-4 record, prompted the move to Maye.

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Employment: 2024–present
Begins: 1

Maye is the latest quarterback hoping to become New England’s franchise quarterback. The North Carolina product was selected third overall by the Patriots due to his unique combination of arm talent and mobility. The 22-year-old is raw, but has the tools needed to develop into a very good starting quarterback.

Maye made his first start for the Patriots in Week 6 of the 2024 season against the Houston Texans. He completed 58.5 percent of his passes for 265 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in a performance in which he showed off his high ceiling with a handful of nice throws.

The Patriots plan to use Maye as their starting quarterback for at least the next few years as they evaluate whether he can become the team’s first long-term starter in the post-Brady days.