Unless you've been under a rock for the last year, you know that the New England Patriots will not be in the market for a brand-new starting quarterback this offseason. Drake Maye's second-year surge rivaled the likes of Tom Brady during certain points of his twenty-year dominance and even got Maye one vote shy of winning league MVP this past season.

Despite a Super Bowl loss, many feel that as long as Maye is on the field, the Patriots will be in the mix for many Januarys to come.

That being said, the Patriots have a solid QB2 in backup Josh Dobbs, who has been an NFL journeyman for some time now. Dobbs, who had limited snaps last season, is most likely back for the second year of his two-year deal with the Patriots.

Then there is QB3 Tommy DeVito, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. DeVito was claimed off waivers last August, and the Patriots added him to their roster on an exclusive rights tender worth $1.03 million.

If they were not to bring DeVito back in 2026, you can't help but wonder if the Patriots would want a veteran quarterback in their QB room or draft someone for an emergency QB3.

The Patriots drafted Garoppolo back in 2014, and boy, did he make an impact in that region. Analysts and Pats fans alone took notice of him at the time as being the next in line to the throne. With his handsome looks and ability to play ball at an elite level, Garoppolo worked in the system and won a Super Bowl as Tom Brady's backup in 2014 before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers mid-season in 2017.

The man they call "Jimmy G" was key to the 49ers getting to Super Bowl LIV before he became a backup with the Raiders and Rams. Garoppolo could fit into McDaniels' system quite easily, as he has in the past, and even serve as an aid to Maye quite well with his past knowledge and experience with the Patriots' longtime offensive coordinator.

Sam Howell and Drake Maye are buddies. That could translate really well with the soon-to-be third-year quarterback, who needs some familiarity around him in a year when many began to speculate whether he regresses or not. Maye was Howell's successor at UNC. The two have swapped jerseys in the past few years when they have met up. There is some good camaraderie between the two.

Howell has a cannon of an arm that makes him look appealing in free agency. Last offseason saw him start the year with the Seattle Seahawks, then be shipped to the Minnesota Vikings, and finally end the year with the Philadelphia Eagles. Howell will need a year or two of consistency on one team in 2026.

The NFL draft will be here before you know it. If the Patriots should consider drafting a quarterback, Haynes King could be it. King is a dual-threat quarterback who could very well be a development project for any team in the league to take on this season.

At Georgia Tech this past fall, King was named the 2025 ACC Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year, with 3,619 total yards of offense for the Yellow Jackets and scoring 27 touchdowns (12 passing, 15 rushing) in just 11 games. Many predict he will be picked in the second or third round. If the Patriots were to pick him, there is a chance they could eventually develop him into a QB2 in a year, with Dobbs' contract up after next season.