The Patriots organization and fanbase were spoiled by having Tom Brady as their quarterback for the better part of two decades as he delivered six Lomabrdi trophies. After Brady’s departure after the 2019 season, New England has been looking for their next franchise quarterback.
At the 2021 NFL Draft, New England used their first round selection on quarterback Mac Jones out of Alabama. Jones produced a solid rookie season, starting all 17 games while compiling a 10-7 record and leading the Patriots to a playoff berth. New England believed they had found their quarterback of the future.
However, Jones took a step back last season as his numbers across the board were down and also missed some time with an ankle injury. 2022 4th round draft pick Bailey Zappe stepped in during Jones’ absence and performed admirably and appeared to have locked up a spot on the roster.
On August 29th, in a bit of a surprising move, the Patriots waived Zappe and he was signed to the practice squad the following day. The day after that, New England claimed former Panthers draft pick Matt Corral off waivers, only to release him less than two weeks later leading Zappe to return to the 53-man roster.
At first, many were puzzled by the move. But it was later revealed in reports that Corral hadn’t shown up to the Patriots’ facility for two straight days without notice, leaving the team no choice but to promote Zappe to the backup role.
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Right now, all that matters is that Corral is healthy and safe. Football is secondary as this concerning situation develops.
The Patriots open their 2023 campaign at home against the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles. They’ll also be honoring Brady at that game.
