The New England Patriots decided to change up their quarterback room this offseason, with Mike Vrabel taking over as the head coach.
When free agency began, the Patriots signed veteran quarterback Joshua Dobbs to a two-year deal to be the new backup behind second-year QB Drake Maye. This move signified the end of the Joe Milton III era, as the Patriots traded him weeks before the 2025 NFL Draft to the Dallas Cowboys.
With Milton on his way to the Lone Star State, New England had its two quarterbacks locked in for the 2025 campaign. However, the Patriots decided to add one more guy into the mix, signing undrafted free agent QB Ben Wooldridge following the 2025 NFL Draft.
Patriots Rookie QB Ben Wooldridge on Chopping Block Ahead of Training Camp
The rookie quarterback has quickly found out that this isn’t college football anymore, as he struggled during the Patriots’ spring workouts. Last month, Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald mentioned in his 53-man roster projection that Wooldridge hadn’t done enough to deserve that spot.
Kyed also brought up how the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New York Giants could be interesting to watch when rosters are cut down. Those teams have an abundance of QBs and could be what offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Vrabel are looking for when it comes to a QB3.
If you are Wooldridge, this isn’t great to hear, as you are already behind the proverbial 8-ball as an undrafted free agent. No matter what position you play as an undrafted free agent, you have to be 100 times better than the next guy to push for a roster spot.
The odds get tougher as a quarterback, especially when the team already has a QB2 locked in for at least two seasons.
Wooldridge played his college football at Fresno State (two years) and Louisiana-Lafayette (three years).
The 6-foot-4 quarterback didn’t put up big numbers in his three-year run at Louisiana-Lafayette, but he was one of the best QBs in the Sun Belt as he won Offensive Player of the Year in 2024.
He completed 66 percent of his passes for 2,453 yards, 17 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Wooldridge also added 174 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground, which shows he has some mobility.
That said, the rookie quarterback needs to have a flawless performance in training camp and in the preseason, where he will likely get the reps to show the Patriots’ brass that he deserves a spot at least on the practice squad.
Given that the Pats have a few other positions with a lot of competition, Wooldridge is already the odd man out. If he can get a practice squad invite, that would be great, as the Patriots can continue to develop him. However, if Wooldridge has a couple of mistakes, he could be putting himself on the path to being a journeyman quarterback.