4 Patriots who won’t make the 53-man roster in 2024

4 Patriots who won’t make the 53-man roster in 2024

Nathan Rourke

With all of the mess surrounding the Patriots quarterbacks last season, it was no surprise when Belichick continued to bring in more players in hopes of finding a guy who might be able to bring some wins to the team.

He was claimed off waivers in mid-December of last year, but never saw any game time after Mac Jones was benched. Bailey Zappe took over for the remainder of the season, despite not playing much better than the former starter.

Rourke was re-signed this offseason by the new regime in Foxboro, joining a quarterback room of Jacoby Brissett, the presumed starter in 2024, and Zappe. There is also the expectation of a rookie joining the group from this year's draft, making it less likely that Rourke will remain on the 53-man roster for the season.

Because he has yet to see any time on an NFL field and the inevitable addition to the quarterback roster coming from the draft, it's fair to assume Rourke will likely end up on the practice squad if he's not cut altogether.

JuJu Smith-Schuster

This might be a controversial choice to be on this list, but when rumors flooded the internet regarding the Patriots' exploration of trading DeVante Parker ahead of free agency, JuJu Smith-Schuster was another player mentioned, making it seem like his days as a Patriot could be numbered.

He was a questionable free agent signing during the 2023 offseason, mainly because Belichick moved on from Jakobi Meyers, who had established himself as an integral part of the offense, and instead signed an injured Smith-Schuster.

This didn't go over well with the team or the fans, and the receiver's first year with the team didn't make things any better.

Some of the struggles Smith-Schuster dealt with could certainly be blamed on the chaotic and under-performing offense led by a constant swapping of quarterbacks. But it was also likely due to his lingering knee injury, and then a new knee injury placed him on injured reserve to end his season early.

Moving on from him, whether by simply releasing him or via trade, won't be easy, given how poorly he performed in 2023. On top of that, the team will take a significant hit of dead cap due to the two years remaining on his contract.

However, unless he shows major improvement and promise this spring/summer, it's hard to believe he will add much to the offense, which already needs a lot of help.

More Patriots coverage: