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New England Patriots: Backup quarterback situation ranked as mediocre

By Nick Ziegler

FOXBOROUGH, MA - JANUARY 21: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots reacts with Brian Hoyer #2 in the fourth quarter during the AFC Championship Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Gillette Stadium on January 21, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA - JANUARY 21: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots reacts with Brian Hoyer #2 in the fourth quarter during the AFC Championship Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Gillette Stadium on January 21, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
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Bleacher Report recently ranked the backup quarterback situations in the NFL. Where did the New England Patriots come in ranked.

The New England Patriots will be heading into the 2018 season with the reigning MVP, Tom Brady, as their starting quarterback. Coming off a great season, Brady has shown no signs of slowing down despite being over 40-years-old.

Last season, the Patriots had arguably the best backup quarterback situations in the NFL. With both Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett behind Brady, the Patriots had two young quarterbacks that have won in the NFL.

However, the Patriots ended up trading both Garoppolo and Brissett during the season last year. By doing this, they put a lot of confidence in Brady to be able to stay healthy and also to continue to play for years to come.

Recently, Bleacher Report ranked the backup quarterback situations for all 32 teams. With Brian Hoyer and Danny Etling currently on the roster, the Patriots came in ranked 18th.

Seeing the Patriots come in ranked in the bottom half of the league is a bit surprising. While Hoyer might not be a great quarterback, he has a good career touchdown-to-interception ratio. Also, he has been a starter and won games in the NFL.

Bringing back Hoyer was a good move for the Patriots after trading away Garoppolo. By doing so, he gave the Patriots a backup quarterback that could come in and know their system right away. As a backup in the NFL, Hoyer is certainly a good one.

What likely hurt the Patriots in the rankings is having Etling as their third. The Patriots took a flyer on Etling late in the 2018 NFL Draft, and we will have to see if he is able to impress in camp enough to make the roster. Compared to having Brissett as the third quarterback last year, that is a major drop off.

Ideally, the Patriots will hope that their backups don’t have to play in meaningful games next season. Brady has done a great job staying healthy throughout his career, and the Patriots certainly value protecting their best player.

Next: Ranking the 10 greatest quarterbacks in franchise history

If something did happen to Brady, Hoyer is a pretty solid veteran to take his place. However, it would be a major drop off from the reigning MVP.

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