New England Patriots: The potential successor you’ve never heard of

A potential successor at quarterback for the New England Patriots is a name you have likely never heard before.

What if I told you that the next successor to New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has already won two professional championships, two league MVPs, three league championship game MVPs, and a national championship in college? Would you believe me?

Well, it’s surely a long shot, but Bo Levi Mitchell of the Canadian Football League’s Calgary Stampeders has already proven himself to be a winner at age 28. The Katy, Texas native and Eastern Washington football standout was vastly overlooked by NFL scouts for his size, much like many quarterbacks who end up playing in the CFL.

But also a lot like Drew Brees and Doug Flutie. However, there’s no denying his ability as a pocket passer, given his accolades in FCS college football and the CFL.

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In two years at Eastern Washington following a transfer from SMU, Mitchell had two illustrious campaigns, including one with a comeback victory over Delaware to claim the FCS National Championship. Did Jimmy Garoppolo ever do that? No.

After being passed on in the 2012 NFL Draft, Mitchell headed north to Calgary and overtook the starting job from an above-average player due to injury in his second year. Sound familiar?

Then, in five seasons as the Stampeders starting quarterback, Mitchell went to the Grey Cup (Canada’s Super Bowl) four times and won twice, receiving the game MVP both times. An impending CFL free agent, his career stats up north include nearly 25,000 passing yards, 150 TDs, and a 102.5 passer rating.

Now, if you can get over the fact that he played Canadian Football and the fact that he’s small, it wouldn’t necessarily be a bad fit in New England. Longtime Calgary Stampeders coach and executive John Hufnagel used to be a quarterbacks coach for the New England Patriots in 2003 and as recently as the offensive coordinator for the Giants in 2006.

Hufnagel has been a Stampeders mainstay throughout Mitchell’s tenure and through his successor, Dave Dickenson, has sort of run a “dink and dunk” play action offense. The only difference, however, is that Mitchell throws downfield a lot more than what we’re used to.

Mitchell would be best suited to go to a pass-first offense with an offensive-minded head coach. He’s not like Patrick Mahomes or DeShaun Watson because he’s mainly a pocket passer.

So realistically, this would bode well only if Josh McDaniels were to become the head coach for the New England Patriots. Though for Mitchell, he would likely only come to the states if it was imminent that he had a succession plan to be a starter.

Even though he’s an American kid with NFL dreams, it would be hard to leave a place like Calgary or even Canada where he has now established his legacy.

But as he looked up at the red and white confetti falling last night in Edmonton after winning his second championship in five seasons and his second MVP, it’s likely he thought – just as our own once thought – “there’s gotta be more than this.”