Jerod Mayo Indicates Big Patriots QB Move is Coming
By Jovan Alford
The New England Patriots completely revamped their quarterback room this offseason after they went 4-13 last season and received inconsistent play from starter Mac Jones.
The Patriots moved on from Jones, surprisingly trading him to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the offseason for draft capital. With New England signaling the end of the Jones era, the Patriots signed veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett to a one-year deal in free agency.
Then when the 2024 NFL Draft rolled around, the Pats added two quarterbacks, taking Drake Maye in the first round and Joe Milton III in the sixth round. With Maye, Brissett, Milton III, and Zappe all in the fold, the Patriots will have some tough decisions to make this summer.
First-year head coach Jerod Mayo spoke with reporters on Monday at the Patriots’ OTA practice discussing the team’s quarterback room.
Patriots News: Jerod Mayo Wants Three QBs on Roster by Training Camp
Mayo reportedly wants to have three quarterbacks on the roster to start training camp and that they will “pare down” the roster by then, per Mark Daniels of MassLive.com.
Sounds like Jerod Mayo wants to have three QBs on the roster to start training camp. Said they’ll “pare down” the roster by then.
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) May 20, 2024
Right now, they’re working with four - Jacoby Brissett, Drake Maye, Bailey Zappe and Joe Milton.
Heading into training camp, we know that the top two quarterback spots are locked in with Maye and Brissett. However, there will be a battle for the QB3 spot between Milton II and Zappe.
Zappe should have the upper hand on Milton given that he’s been with the team for the last two seasons. The former Western Kentucky quarterback played in 10 games last season (six starts) with Jones struggling for a majority of the 2023 campaign.
The 25-year-old Zappe completed 59.9 percent of his passes for 1,272 yards, six touchdowns, and nine interceptions. If the Patriots were confident in Zappe’s skills as a backup quarterback, they wouldn’t have signed Brissett.
However, the Patriots want to see Zappe compete against Milton III, who has incredible arm talent and a higher ceiling. The former University of Tennessee quarterback should beat out Zappe for the QB3 job, but that’s why we have OTAs to see these battles play out.
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