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    • Drake Maye is the latest to try to replace GOAT
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    Drake Maye is the latest to try to replace GOAT

    Idris Bevan Posted on

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    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 offseason 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 20 years and six Super Bowls.

    Since then, New England has been looking for Brady’s successor. Replacing the veteran quarterback, who made 283 of 304 possible starts after debuting as a starter in 2001, has proven to be a difficult task for the Patriots. They’ve tried a handful of options at this point, but none have taken off yet.

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

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    Cam Newton

    • Term: 2020
    • Begins: 15
    • Record: 7-8

    In the first few months after Brady’s departure, Patriots fans assumed that 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 might give the 2019 fourth-round pick a chance to prove himself during the COVID-affected 2019 season.

    Instead, the Patriots changed course and signed Cam Newton as a free agent in July. The veteran quarterback only played two games for the Carolina Panthers last season due to a nagging foot injury. After his release in March, he remained without a contract, partly due to his checkered injury history before the Patriots drafted him.

    Newton won the Patriots’ starting job and started all but one of the 2020 season. He completed 65.8 percent of his passes – the second-highest single-season total of his career – but struggled to consistently move the ball downfield, throwing for 2,657 yards, 8 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

    Despite these issues, Newton retained his starting position as he was still able to run the ball at a good pace. He managed 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 season, in which he ran just five times before being placed on IR).

    Still, Newton clearly wasn’t the same player he was at the height of his MVP season in 2015. Multiple shoulder injuries had weakened his arm strength, while his speed was compromised due to his crooked foot. Therefore, the Patriots replaced Newton in the 2021 offseason and ultimately released him before the start of the season.

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    Brian Hoyer

    • Term: 2020-22
    • Begins:2
    • Record: 0-2

    Hoyer had three stints with the Patriots during his career. The last one came between 2020 and 2022 when he supported Newton and Mac Jones.

    Hoyer made two starts in that three-year span, the first in Week 4 of the 2020 season against the Kansas City Chiefs when Newton came down with COVID-19. He completed a respectable 15 of 24 passes in that contest, but threw for just 130 yards and one interception, resulting in a 26-10 loss.

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

    • Term: 2021-23
    • Begins: 42

    Jones was the Patriots’ first significant investment in their effort to replace Brady. While Newton was considered a stopgap starter on an affordable one-year contract, New England selected Jones 15th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. That signaled that the Patriots were serious about developing him into a premier starting quarterback.

    Jones’ first season started well. 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 to Ja’Marr Chase in Rookie of the Year voting, was selected to the Pro Bowl and seemed to be developing into a good starting quarterback in New England.

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

    Jones suffered a severe regression under her leadership. His stats in all major categories dropped significantly as he couldn’t keep up with play-callers and was under intense heat behind a deteriorating offensive line. Jones showed a worrying penchant for taking sacks and committing head-scratching turnovers in the new offense, while frequently showing frustration with Patricia in the game.

    The Patriots tried to right their mistake in 2023 by hiring Bill O’Brien to replace Patricia and Judge. At this point, Jones’ confidence was shattered. He continued to struggle with sacks and turnovers in 2023, which many saw as evidence that McDaniels’ system made Jones look like a better quarterback than he actually was.

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

    It also officially marked the end of Jones’ once-promising attempt to become 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 was considered the backup behind Jones, but his performance as a rookie led to him being asked to start under Jones.

    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 and appeared to be a better fit for Patricia’s offense than Jones.

    Still, 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 for the remainder of the game. He wasn’t as sharp as he was in his rookie season and struggled with interceptions because he didn’t have the arm strength 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.

    • Term: 2024-today
    • Begins: 5

    The Patriots completely revamped their quarterback room in the 2024 offseason, and that 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 the rookie New England selected 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 making way for 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 give the Patriots much playmaking potential. This and Brissett’s 1-4 record prompted the switch to Maye.

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    • Term: 2024-today
    • 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 thanks to his unique combination of arm talent and mobility. The 22-year-old is raw, but has the tools necessary 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 where he showed off his high ceiling with a handful of nice-looking throws.

    The Patriots expect Maye to be 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 era.

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    Idris Bevan
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