Patriots QBs since Tom Brady: Drake Maye takes over role once held by Mac Jones
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 Brady and Bill Belichick partnership after 20 years and six Super Bowls.
Since then, New England has searched for Brady's successor. Replacing the veteran quarterback – who made 283 starts of a possible 304 after his 2001 debut as a starter – has proven to be a tough task for the Patriots. They have tried a handful of options at the position, but none have yet panned out.
The Patriots' post-Brady quarterback carousel may not be as long as recent ones for the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets, but it has certainly been a culture shock for New England fans used 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
Tenure: 2020
Starts: 15
Record: 7-8
For the first few months after Brady's departure, Patriots fans were under the assumption 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-impacted 2019 season.
Instead, the Patriots switched course and signed Cam Newton as a free agent in July. The veteran quarterback had played in just two games for the Carolina Panthers the previous season because of a nagging foot injury. He remained unsigned following his release in March, partly thanks to his checkered injury history, before the Patriots game him a shot.
Newton won the Patriots' starting job and made all but one start during 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.
Newton held onto the starting job despite these issues because he could still run the ball at a solid clip. He generated 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 campaign during which he ran just five times before being played on IR).
Still, Newton clearly wasn't the same player he was during his 2015 MVP season peak. Several shoulder injuries had sapped his arm strength while his speed was diminished because of his balky foot. Thus, the Patriots replaced Newton during the 2021 offseason and ultimately released him before the season began.
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Brian Hoyer
Tenure: 2020-22
Starts: 2
Record: 0-2
Hoyer had three stints with the Patriots during his career. The last came between 2020-22, during which he backed up Newton and Mac Jones.
Hoyer made two starts during that three-year period, the first coming in Week 4 of the 2020 season against the Kansas City Chiefs, when Newton had COVID-19. He completed a respectable 15-of-24 passes in that contest but threw for just 130 yards and an interception 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 high-ankle sprain against the Baltimore Ravens but suffered a concussion after playing just 15 snaps. That marked the veteran's final start with the Patriots.
Mac Jones
Tenure: 2021-23
Starts: 42
Jones was the first significant investment the Patriots made in their efforts to replace Brady. While Newton was viewed as a stopgap starter on an affordable, one-year contract, New England spend the 15th pick in the 2021 NFL draft on Jones. That signaled the Patriots were serious about developing him into a quality starting quarterback.
Things started well in Jones' first season. 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 in the Rookie of the Year voting to Ja'Marr Chase, was voted into the Pro Bowl and looked like he would develop into a good starting quarterback in New England.
However, Josh McDaniels left the Patriots in the 2022 offseason to take the Las Vegas Raiders coaching gig. Belichick opted to replace him with the combination of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, two former head coaches with expertise in defense and special teams, at offensive coordinator.
Jones regressed badly under their leadership. His stats across all major categories declined significantly, as he didn't mesh with the play-callers and was under a lot of heat behind a degrading offensive line. Jones showed a troubling penchant for taking sacks and committing head-scratching turnovers in the new offense while frequently showing frustration with Patricia in-game.
The Patriots tried to rectify their mistake in 2023 by hiring Bill O'Brien to replace Patricia and Judge. By then, Jones' confidence was destroyed. He continued to have issues with sacks and turnovers in 2023, which many took as proof that McDaniels' system had made Jones look like a better quarterback than he actually was.
Jones went 8-17 over his last two seasons with the Patriots, completing 65.1 percent of his passes for 5,117 yards, 24 touchdowns and 23 interceptions while taking 56 sacks. New England underwent wholesale changes following the 2023 season after Belichick was fired. 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 bid to develop into Brady's successor.
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Bailey Zappe
Tenure: 2022-23
Starts: 8
The Patriots surprisingly spent a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft on Zappe after Jones' rookie year. The Western Kentucky product profiled as a backup behind Jones, but his performance as a rookie led to calls for him to start over Jones.
Zappe started twice during his rookie season and saw action in four games. He completed 70.7 percent of his passes for 781 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions while looking like a better fit for the Patricia offense than Jones.
Nonetheless, 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 the rest of the way. He wasn't as sharp as he was during his rookie season and struggled with interceptions, as he didn't have the arm strength needed to push the ball downfield consistently.
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.
Jacoby Brissett
Tenure: 2024-present
Starts: 5
The Patriots entirely revamped their quarterback room during the 2024 offseason, and it started with signing Brissett to a one-year deal. The logic was that Brissett, a veteran who the Patriots originally selected in the third round of the 2016 draft, would serve as a bridge to whichever rookie New England chose 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 provide the Patriots with much playmaking ability. That, plus Brissett's 1-4 record, prompted the switch to Maye.
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Drake Maye
Tenure: 2024-present
Starts: 1
Maye is the latest quarterback hoping to become New England's franchise quarterback. The North Carolina product was chosen 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 needed 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 during which he flashed his high ceiling with a handful of pretty-looking throws.
The Patriots figure to use Maye as their starting quarterback for at least the next few years while they evaluate whether he can become the team's first long-term starter of the post-Brady days.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Patriots QBs since Tom Brady: Drake Maye latest trying to replace GOAT
