The New England Patriots quarterback room was turned upside down during the offseason. Of course, the main attractions include the trade of Mac Jones to the Jaguars and the arrival of Drake Maye via the third overall pick in 2024. NFL Draft. That said, there have been changes that this new regime, led by head coach Jerod Mayo and de facto GM Eliot Wolf, continues to make with this position group. The latest news comes on Monday, with the team releasing veteran Nathan Rourke.
Rourke had a brief stint with New England after being claimed off waivers by the club in December following a stint with Jacksonville. He was inactive for two games before dressing as a reserve at the end of the regular season. Rourke was initially drafted by the BC Lions of the CFL in 2020 after a collegiate career at Ohio. He spent two years with the Lions before jumping to the NFL last year with the Jaguares.
Given Rourke’s status as an outsider, NFL player, his departure from the Patriots was an expected step, especially after leaving the draft with two defenders. Even now, New England has a total of four quarterbacks on the 90-man offseason roster, which will likely be reduced again when the club needs to get to a 53-player unit by the season opener. As things stand, the QB room in Foxborough is made up of Maye, Jacoby Brissett, Bailey Zappe and rookie Joe Milton.
With Maye and Brissett seen as climbers, the stage is set for what could be a training camp battle between the veteran Zappe and Milton. The inside edge will likely be given to Milton, who was taken in the sixth round (193rd overall) out of Tennessee. He presents the Patriots with a cost-controlled asset at the position for the next four seasons and a developing quarterback with a tremendous arm. His overall skill set also appears to be in line with Maye’s, which could also bode well for his chance to be a backup before long.
As for Zappe, he is a holdover from the previous Bill Belichick regime. He has had opportunities to start throughout his first two years in the league and recent results have been lukewarm. In six starts last season, Zappe went 2-4 and completed 59.9% of his passes with more interceptions (nine) than touchdowns (six). The Patriots had also previously shown a willingness to cut bait on Zappe when they released him during final roster cuts last summer, only to bring him back a short time later. The 25-year-old is in the final year of his contract before entering restricted free agency. With these factors in mind, it appears the Patriots would opt to draft Milton over Zappe if Mayo decides to have three quarterbacks on the regular-season roster.