New England Patriots Depth Chart
- AFC East
- Stadium
- Gillette Stadium
- Head Coach
- Bill Belichick
- Offensive Coordinator
- Josh McDaniels
- Defensive Coordinator
- Steve Belichick & Jerod Mayo
- Special Teams Coach
- Cameron Achord
- Defensive Scheme
- 4-3
New England Patriots quarterback Jarrett Stidham appears to have the inside track on the starting job despite the signing of veteran Brian Hoyer. This all comes after Tom Brady chose to leave New England in free agency for Tampa Bay. The Patriots like Stidham, but they know he's an unknown commodity until he sees live action under center. The 23-year-old should compete with Hoyer in training camp, but it'll be Stidham's job to lose this summer. A fourth-round pick last year out of Auburn, he attempted only four passes in parts of three games in his rookie season. The Patriots don't seem interested in Andy Dalton or Cam Newton, so they may choose to sink or swim with Stidham in 2020. He won't be worth drafting except for in dynasty/keeper formats.
The New England Patriots are releasing kicker Stephen Gostkowski on Monday, according to a league source. Gostkowski, a three-time Super Bowl winner, is the franchise's all-time leading scorer since he was a fourth-round selection by the Patriots in the 2006 draft. The 36-year-old booter played in just four games for New England last year due to injury and made seven of his eight field-goal attempts and 11 of his 15 extra points. Gostkowski is a career 87.4 percent field-goal kicker on 428 career regular season attempts, including going 25-for-35 on 50-plus yard tries. Despite his age, he could latch on with another team and be successful as long as he's healthy. Quarterback won't be the only position in Boston where the Pats will be looking to replace a franchise icon this offseason.
New England Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer's agent, Joe Linta, said that the Patriots "gave him a chance to compete for the starting job, and that's all he asked for." The Patriots will give Hoyer roughly $1 million for the 2020 season, and he's also getting $1 million from the Colts after they released him. He'll have a chance to earn another $2 million in incentives. Even with just Jarrett Stidham and Cody Kessler at the position in New England, it seems unlikely that the 34-year-old journeyman quarterback would win the starting gig to open the season. The Patriots also figure to use the draft to upgrade the position. Hoyer could be forced to make starts next season, but he'd still be a lackluster low-end QB2 option for fantasy owners. This is life after Tom Brady in Boston.
The New England Patriots reached an agreement with quarterback Brian Hoyer on an undisclosed deal on Sunday. The team also signed former New York Jets linebacker Brandon Copeland. Hoyer, a 34-year-old journeyman quarterback, began his career with the Patriots from 2009 to 2011 and played for them again in 2018. This will be his third go-around with the team, and he'll help bring depth to the position after Tom Brady left in free agency. The Pats also have Jarrett Stidham and Cody Kessler at the position, and there's a good chance they'll further address the position in next month's draft. Hoyer played in four games last year (one start) and was 35-for-65 for 372 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions. He won't even have much appeal in two-QB leagues if he's forced to start any games in New England in 2020.
The Indianapolis Colts released quarterback Brian Hoyer on Saturday, according to a source. This doesn't come as a surprise after the Colts signed Philip Rivers to be their starter in 2020. Jacoby Brissett will serve as Rivers' backup next year, leaving Hoyer out of a job. The journeyman signal-caller has played for the Patriots, Cardinals, Browns, Texans, Bears, 49ers and Colts in his career, and it's unclear if he'll look to continue his career after his release. If he lands another gig with another team, it'll most likely be in a backup role.