The New England Patriots have a multitude of holes to patch this offseason if they want to make a deep postseason run again. But for the first time since the end of the Tom Brady era, there isn't a worry in the world about who the starting quarterback is.
While Drake Maye has proven he's one of the league's best players, backup Josh Dobbs may be in a more compromised position.
Part of the 2025 free agency class, Dobbs was signed to a two-year deal worth $8 million. While there's no doubt he's one of the league's better backups, his near $4.8 million cap hit is rather high for a backup QB. If he were to be released, New England would save $3.7 million, more than they saved by releasing running back Antonio Gibson, who was a regular part of their offense and the Week 2 AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.
While he only played in mop-up duty, Dobbs was 7-for-10 for 65 yards this season. His only play of any significance was a 12-yard pass against the Titans in October when Maye was being evaluated for a concussion.
In the preseason, Dobbs finished with a 57 percent completion rate, 151 passing yards, and a touchdown. His only rush was a two-yard touchdown. Dobbs has produced, but there's a chance Vrabel and company feel he isn't worth the near $5 million price tag and look in another direction.
If the Patriots move on from Josh Dobbs, here are their 3 best options
Jimmy Garoppolo
Could a reunion be in order? Garoppolo famously filled in for Tom Brady during his four-game suspension in 2016 before being traded to the 49ers on Halloween of the 2017 season for a second-round pick. Despite only starting five games, he was named No. 90 in the NFL's Top 100 players after he finished that season undefeated (5-0). He went 40-17 as a starter between the Patriots and Niners, and eventually followed Josh McDaniels to Vegas, signing a three-year deal.
Despite the hype of the duo reuniting in a new city, Garoppolo started just six games in one season with the Raiders, going 3-3. He threw for 200.8 yards per game with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions.
He's since been the Rams backup, and while he's only started one game in the last two years, he'd be a slight upgrade over Dobbs. The Patriots offering anything more than the $3 million the Rams gave him last offseason would be overextending themselves, though.
Mitch Trubisky
The former No. 2 pick would give New England a second UNC quarterback, but it would also give them more stability if Maye were to miss time. Trubisky balled against a weak Jets defense in the last week of the 2025 regular season, passing for 229 yards with a near 76 percent completion rate and four touchdowns. While his time as a starter hasn't been fruitful since his Bears days, he's arguably the league's best backup.
It's hard to believe the Bills would let him walk, especially given Joe Brady's promotion to head coach. With so much likely to change in terms of personnel, keeping the QB room intact could be wise. If he becomes available, however, perhaps the Patriots could take a look. His two-year deal, signed in 2024, was worth just $2.6 million per season, but I'd expect a deal in the neighborhood of $3 million to come his way.
Carson Wentz
Wentz has started meaningful games more recently than the previous two quarterbacks mentioned. While he is more of a gunslinger than the other two, being a more aggressive quarterback could be what New England would need if Maye were to miss games. Wentz averaged 33.8 attempts per game in his starts this past year in Minnesota, and passed for over 300 yards twice in five games, finishing with a 2-3 record.
The 33-year-old is a backup at this point in his career without a doubt, but it doesn't mean he isn't a good one. Additionally, coach Kevin O'Connell seems to trust him more than their supposed franchise QB, J.J. McCarthy. Compared to Wentz's 33.8 attempts per game, McCarthy's figure stood at just 24.3. Wentz also finished with a better completion percentage, TD-to-INT ratio, and significantly more passing yards per game, despite being sacked at a higher rate than the former Michigan Wolverine. While two years older than Dobbs, Wentz is a very capable backup.
In the end, my belief is that the Patriots will continue to roster Dobbs as their backup. Nonetheless, I don't think it's impossible that they at least explore the idea of adding a top veteran backup in free agency, especially if they believe they can save a few bucks by doing so.