Patriots quarterback room preview ahead of training camp

After a horrible 2023 season, the New England Patriots made a number of changes this offseason, including a few at quarterback.

Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe split 17 starts last year, and they combined to complete 63 percent of their passes for 3,392 yards, 16 touchdowns and 21 interceptions with a passer rating of 73.8.

Poor play at this position has been the main reason for their struggles.

As the Patriots prepare for training camp in a few weeks, let’s get familiar with each position group, starting with the quarterbacks.

Jacoby Brissett

Brissett returned to New England this offseason on a one-year deal after being traded from the Patriots to the Indianapolis Colts in 2017. He also spent time with the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders over the past three seasons.

At this point, Brissett is the team’s starter due to his experience in the league and his experience in offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt’s system. However, it’s clear that he can’t do everything, so he’ll have to push aside his competitors for the job.

Drake Maye

New England selected Maye with the third overall pick in this year’s draft out of North Carolina, and he’s obviously Brissett’s biggest competitor for the starting role.

He has a huge arm, but he’s adjusting to a new scheme and better competition around him, so with everything he has on his back, the Patriots are going easy on him. However, Maye has already surpassed the next quarterback we’ll talk about on the depth chart.

Bailey Zappe

Zappe is the only player from last year’s team to hold on to the role despite the offense’s struggles. While at the position, he completed just 59.9 percent of his passes for 1,272 yards, six touchdowns and nine interceptions with a passer rating of 68.7.

Last year, New England was willing to offer Zappe on waivers, and when he went unclaimed, he was re-signed to the practice squad. If he wants to keep his roster spot in 2024, he’ll have to prove he’s better than the last quarterback on the roster.

Joe Milton III

After selecting Maye in the first round, the Patriots doubled down on the position and drafted Tennessee’s Milton in the sixth round.

Milton has a huge arm, and he’s shown it every time he’s been on the field, whether it’s at Michigan, Tennessee or during organized team activities and the mandatory minicamp in New England.

At 24, he’s an older rookie, but the Patriots clearly believe he has something to exploit. If he can show signs of success, he’ll beat out Zappe and earn that third spot out of camp.