New England Patriots QB Depth Chart 2021: Starters and Backup Players
The New England Patriots have quite an interesting dynamic in the quarterback room. The team seems prepared to deal with the present and future in terms of who will be under center.
After the departure of quarterback Tom Brady in the 2020 off-season, the New England Patriots signed Cam Newton as the starter. At that time, they had also drafted Auburn quarterback Jarett Stidham in 2019 and had veteran journeyman Brian Hoyer on and off the roster.
With the re-signing of Newton this off-season and another one-year deal, the New England Patriots used their first-round draft selection to pluck out quarterback Mac Jones out of Alabama.
New England Patriots 2021 Quarterback Depth Chart
QB 1: Cam Newton.
QB 2: Mac Jones.
QB 3: Jarrett Stidham.
QB 4: Brian Hoyer.
New England Patriots 2021 Quarterback Depth Chart Analysis
QB 1 - Cam Newton
After a stellar college career at Auburn and a Heisman Trophy win, Cam Newton was drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the first-overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft.
In his fifth professional season, Newton led the Panthers to a 15-1 record and a trip to the Super Bowl. Newton spent ten seasons in Carolina, making four trips to the postseason before he became a free agent after the 2020 season.
Cam Newton signed with the New England Patriots on a one-year deal in 2020 before training camp. Newton started 15 games for the Patriots, leading the team to a 7-8 record. He threw for 2,657 yards and eight touchdowns while rushing for 592 yards and 12 touchdowns.
After the New England Patriots failed to make the playoffs in 2020, Cam Newton once again became a free agent. The New England Patriots re-signed Newton in March on another one-year deal.
Cam Newton should break training camp as the starting quarterback, but the plan after that remains unclear.
QB 2 - Mac Jones
The New England Patriots drafted Mac Jones with their first-round draft pick this year.
It's not that surprising that the New England Patriots see Mac Jones as the future quarterback of the franchise. Jones was seen as a pro-style quarterback when he was recruited out of Alabama.
He fits the Patriots' offense quite well but may need a year to completely learn the New England Patriots' offense and become an NFL quarterback. That was why the Patriots re-signed Cam Newton to allow Jones time to evolve.
QB 3 - Jarrett Stidham
When the New England Patriots drafted Jarrett Stidham in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, the team planned to have him as their future quarterback when Tom Brady would retire.
But once Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team signed Cam Newton. Stidham hasn't started an NFL game in his first two seasons, but he has appeared in eight games (three in 2019 and five in 2020), where he has struggled. On average, only 50% of his passes have been completed, making the Patriots reconsider their original plans for the quarterback.
QB 4 - Brian Hoyer
Brian Hoyer, an undrafted free agent out of Michigan State in 2009, spent the first three seasons with the New England Patriots.
He then spent time with Arizona, Cleveland, Houston, Chicago and San Francisco. Hoyer returned to the Patriots in 2017 as part of the Jimmy Garoppolo trade. He signed with the Indianapolis Colts for the 2019 season. The next year, he returned to the Patriots for a third stint.
Hoyer has started 39 games in his career, with the most in 2014 as a starter for the Cleveland Browns. He is a quarterback that is very efficient and knowledgeable with the New England Patriots offense and is a reliable asset to have in the team's roster.