The Patriots are 100% sure in who their starting quarterback will be for Week 1 of the season for the first time since 2022, as Drake Maye looks to build on his solid rookie season. Admittedly, he wasn't perfect in the Patriots' first preseason game: 3/5 for 12 yards, and a sub-40 PFF grade. Nonetheless, it's a certainty he'll be the starter barring injury.
Maye is the only overlap compared to 2024's QB room. With the departure of Jacoby Brissett in free agency and Joe Milton traded, the Patriots opted to add a new pair of quarterbacks to the mix. Josh Dobbs was the more notable addition, joining after backing up Brock Purdy in San Francisco the year prior. In 2023, he had his best season to date, totaling 19 touchdowns with a 63% completion rate.
The second addition went under the radar for most Patriots fans. Ben Wooldridge, 25, was signed as a UDFA from Louisiana following the draft. He spent two uneventful seasons at Fresno State before his transfer to UL, where in his fifth season, he totaled 22 touchdowns to six interceptions. Across college, his TD-INT ratio finished at 47-12.
Contrasting offseasons won't change the depth chart for now
Maye has been the focus of Patriots training camp and preseason, but the battle for the QB2 job has become much closer than anyone might have expected. Like Maye, Dobbs had a disappointing night throwing the ball, finishing 5/12 with 45 yards. He still finished a drive with a Houdini-esque scramble around the pocket that ended with a leaping touchdown.
Wooldridge, on the other hand, was on most fans' "good list" after Week 1 of the preseason. Finishing 9/12 for 132 yards and a touchdown to fellow UDFA Efton Chism III. The playbook was slimmed down, and he did get lucky on a play or two, but certainly don't disregard the performance.
Despite the QBs' contrasting offseasons, Vrabel seems confident in the current depth chart: "Josh is the backup right now," he said in an 8/14 press conference. While he did confirm Dobbs as the QB2, he didn't rule out the possibility of some shuffling: "Not that that couldn't change. You know, Ben's working hard, and we'll see. We're always trying to strengthen the roster each and every day, but Josh is in there."
For the time being, it makes sense. While Wooldridge may have been better the past few weeks, that doesn't trump what Dobbs has put together for eight seasons. Dobbs is in the first season of a two-year deal worth $8 million: standard backup money, so if things take a turn for the worse, a release is certainly feasible.
The UL alum, on the other hand, may have just caught lightning in a bottle, so to rely on him as the QB2 immediately would be a bit overzealous. Nonetheless, his makeup is that of a long-term backup: a preseason standout with a history of not turning the ball over. Even if the Patriots cap their 53 at two quarterbacks, he seems a practice squad lock, and could even be someone other teams look at if he continues to succeed.
We'll see how the upcoming weeks play out, but for now, I'd expect the depth chart to remain the same. Nonetheless, expect both Dobbs and Wooldridge to be playing their hearts out over the next few weeks to get as high on the depth chart as possible come September.