It’s a quiet period of the NFL offseason, with the rush of free agency and the draft frenzy having passed, meaning it’s the perfect time to look big picture at where the New England Patriots stand with the game’s most important position. Spry 41-year-old, and future hall-of-famer Tom Brady (you may have heard of him) is the clear starter, but behind him, the Pats’ have no heir apparent.
Any take on the Patriots QB situation has to deal with the elephant in the room: New England had an heir to Brady in Jimmy Garoppolo, who was traded to the San Francisco 49ers for a second round pick. The reasoning behind this trade remains murky-- perhaps it was Brady’s ego, maybe Kraft pressured Belichick, or maybe the Patriots wouldn’t give Garoppolo a significant paycheck to sit on the bench. Whatever the reasoning, it honestly doesn’t really matter anymore. Especially after winning five straight games after being traded, Garoppolo is a fascinating what-if (or a source of ire directed at Brady/Kraft/whomever you hold responsible), but he’s in San Francisco now, and thus doesn’t factor into the Pats’ QB situation.
As it stands now, the Patriots have three QBs on the roster, which is the number they usually stick with. Brady is obviously the starter, Brian Hoyer the primary backup, and then Danny Etling, this year’s 7th round pick. Tom Brady is the ultimate known quantity––a stellar, top-notch QB year in and year out. The problem is that Brady is 41 and avocado ice cream wears off. Time always wins, and Brady’s career will have to end, likely in the next few years––thus the need for an QB of the future. Hoyer is also a known quantity, clearly a solid reserve to back Brady up in case of injury or suspension (hopefully he’s kicked the deflating habit). Etling is interesting, a 4-year starter in college, first at Purdue and then at LSU. He’s got some talent and doesn’t turn the ball over, but there’s a reason he was drafted in the 7th round––he’s not seen as having a whole lot of NFL upside. Maybe the Pats can put him into their system and turn him into the next Brady, who is the ultimate example that a low draft choice doesn’t preclude talent.
Not to deflate Pats fans’ hopes, but New England’s QB of the future is probably not on the roster currently. Some expected them to address the position with a high draft pick this year; they had an opportunity to pick promising prospects like Heisman trophy winner Lamar Jackson (who went to the Ravens with the 32nd overall pick), Mason Rudolph (Steelers, 12th pick in the 3rd round), or Kyle Lauletta (Giants, 8th pick in the 4th round). However, Belichick and Co. decided to spend their draft capital on strengthening the team around Brady and replacing significant free agent losses. This plan makes sense, as Brady isn’t out the door yet, and as long as they have one of the game’s greatest QBs, the Patriots have good chance to compete for a Super Bowl.
Another possible reason that the Pats’ front office decided to pass on a high QB pick this year was that they had missed the top prospects (Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, and Josh Rosen) and didn’t see the others as worth a high draft choice. The Patriots had an opportunity to trade up for one of them, but maybe the cost was too high and would’ve prevented them from filling other immediate needs. Whatever the reason, New England is in a position of short-term stability but long-term flux at the QB position. Luckily, for the time being, Tom Brady will do nicely, and who knows, Danny Etling could turn into something (but I wouldn’t count on it).
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