National Football League

Patriots should add veteran QB regardless of draft plans. We evaluate 11 options

Published Feb. 14, 2024 12:31 p.m. ET

The New England Patriots need help at quarterback. It's an SOS situation.

In 2023, the team clearly didn't have enough firepower at any position. But it was most obvious at QB, where Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe came up well short of NFL standards.

One of them may reemerge in 2024 — particularly Jones, a first-round pick in 2021. But New England has the cap space and draft assets to bring in more competition. That's exactly what they'll do. The Patriots are in the mix to take a quarterback third overall. Even coach Jerod Mayo was willing to admit that.

But free agency is in March. The draft isn't until April. The Patriots will almost surely add a veteran quarterback, even if they plan to draft one of the top QBs in this year's class.

So which veteran might the Patriots pursue?

Please note that asterisked players are not slated to hit free agency, but are likely to become available through trade or cuts.

Developmental project

Justin Fields*: In this case, the Patriots would have to trade for Fields. The Bears have the No. 1 overall pick. If they stay in that spot, they will almost definitely take USC quarterback Caleb Williams. If they take Williams (or trade down a few spots and select a different QB), then they'll move on from Fields. He's simply too talented to sit as a backup. And while Fields' career has been as erratic as Jones', Fields has more upside, with mobility and arm strength beyond the Patriots QB. If the Patriots dealt for Fields, they would probably take a receiver or tackle at third overall — or New England would trade down.

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Veteran starter/stopgap

Baker Mayfield: Mayfield just enjoyed the best season of his career, in part thanks to a good group of receivers. He'll probably return to Tampa Bay. But there are a few connections between Mayfield and New England. While the Patriots did not name a general manager for the 2024 season, Eliot Wolf appears to have stepped up into the top executive role. And he has his fingerprints over a number of the major transactions, including the hire of new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. Wolf and Van Pelt were in Cleveland when the Browns drafted Mayfield in the first round in 2018. AVP will have a large role in exploring the market for QBs, so it will be interesting to see how hot (or cold) he is on Mayfield after an up-and-down stint together.

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Kirk Cousins: He's among the most prolific QBs on the market. But for that reason, I'm dubious he's a match for the Patriots. How does that make sense? Well, Cousins likely wants to win now. Even though he's 35 and suffered an Achilles injury which will cast some doubt on his future, Cousins also just finished a season as impressive as any of his others. New England appears a few years away from contention. Even if the Patriots offered Cousins the most lucrative deal on the market, I'm not sure he'd take it without seeing how they're going to expediently fill the talent gaps at basically every other position on offense.

Russell Wilson*: He's not a free agent — yet. But give it time. He will be. Wilson has completely fallen out with Broncos coach Sean Payton. The 35-year-old might be a good buy-low opportunity. He needs to reclaim his career and had a few brutal seasons in Denver. Like Cousins, Wilson might be looking for a good situation with a turn-key offense. But unlike Cousins, Wilson isn't coming off one of his best seasons. Wilson makes more sense than Cousins, if only because the Patriots and the current Broncos QB would make for a marriage of necessity. New England, if they don't like the prospects atop the draft, could try to build around Wilson for a year or two (or more, if it works out). Wilson might only have one or two takers.

Veteran backup/mentor

Joe Flacco: This feels like the most probable match of any QB on this list. Van Pelt worked with Flacco this season and the two made magic. It was stunning how well Flacco played in 2023, and the veteran QB won Comeback Player of the Year after getting the Browns to the playoffs. It's easy to imagine Flacco signing with the Patriots. He won't cost much. He proved again that he could be a reliable backup. And he has a relationship with Van Pelt.

Tyrod Taylor: Wolf and AVP also have history with Taylor. They overlapped in Cleveland in 2018. Taylor's contract with the Giants is set to expire in March, and he has proven time and time again that he can come off the bench and help teams win. That said, if the Patriots signed only Taylor, it would be a huge tell that they're picking a QB at No. 3.

Gardner Minshew: He just won't go away. Minshew has succeeded in great situations (Philly) and mediocre ones (Indy). Pretty consistently, he has proven he's in the tier of quarterbacks who are 25tb-best to 35th-best in the NFL. While there aren't any clear reasons why he's a good fit for the Patriots, it might be as simple as talent and money. He has the right amount of talent to compete with a rookie QB, if they draft one. But he could also be the year-long starter in a pinch. And he won't break the bank in terms of contract demands.

Drew Lock: Lock backed up Geno Smith for the last few years in Seattle. I'm not sure if there's a natural match between Lock and the Patriots. But he could be Minshew Lite. Lock hasn't been as good as Minshew. But they're both inexpensive QBs who have proven, over short periods, they can act as starters — which is to say they're good backups.

Jimmy Garoppolo*: He's not yet a free agent, but like Wilson, Garoppolo will almost definitely part ways with the Raiders in the coming weeks or months. Maybe it'll be a trade. Maybe it'll be an outright cut. At that point, the Patriots would be free to pursue him. Mayo and Garoppolo were actually teammates in 2014 and 2015. Garoppolo once backed up Tom Brady. New England might offer Jimmy G the opportunity to compete with a rookie for the starting job.

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Jacoby Brissett: Brissett spent time with the Patriots, who drafted him in 2016. He has turned into a journeyman in the same vein as Matt Cassel, another former Brady backup. Brissett is not a starter. But he's a capable backup who brings the right work ethic and temperament.

Tyler Huntley: Here's a curveball. Huntley is Lamar Jackson's backup, and has been competent in relief of the Ravens' star QB. Huntley only makes sense in one scenario: the Patriots think they're going to draft Jayden Daniels. Daniels isn't a perfect comp to Lamar, who is genuinely a one-of-one quarterback. But there is a lot Daniels can learn from Lamar. And Huntley could be just the QB to help Daniels transition to the NFL.

Prior to joining FOX Sports as the AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna.