Patriots Releasing Veteran Backup QB

The New England Patriots have a star quarterback in Drake Maye for the foreseeable future, but have moved on from another player in his position group.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Patriots are planning to release quarterback Joshua Dobbs and make him a free agent, following the inability to find a trade partner.

The #Patriots are planning to release backup QB Josh Dobbs, sources say, after the being unable to find a trade partner. Dobbs is now slated to be free. pic.twitter.com/IVutDHBwUX
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 23, 2026

Dobbs joined the Patriots on a two-year, $8 million deal on March 18, 2025, which marked his ninth NFL team in as many seasons he's played in.

He saw a limited role with New England, as Maye stayed healthy for almost the whole season. Dobbs featured in just four games and completed 7-of-10 passes for 65 yards.

Those four games were all blowout wins, a 42-13 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 4 at Gilette Stadium, road wins in 31-13 over the Tennessee Titans in Week 7 and 42-10 over the New York Jets in Week 17, plus a 38-10 home victory against the Miami Dolphins in Week 18.

What the Patriots Do Going Forward

One of the main reasons for the Patriots looking to move on from Dobbs was that they re-signed quarterback Tommy Devito to a two-year, $4.4 million contract this offseason, as they see him as their backup for the future.

Devito didn't play at all for the Patriots in 2025, but spent his first two seasons with the New York Giants and made eight starts in 12 games, completing 145-of-222 passes (65.3%) for 1,358 yards and eight touchdowns to three interceptions.

Aug 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito (15) throws the ball during the third quarter against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images | Mark Smith-Imagn Images

With this move, the Rapoport reported that the Patriots tried to find a trade partner and when they couldn't decided they would release him. This reportedly saved the Patriots $3.7 million in cap space and marks $1.05 million left in dead cap, according to Over The Cap.

The Patriots now have just Maye and Devito in the quarterback room and will look to find additional options for third string and fourth string.

New England could see if one of the 16 available free agent quarterbacks work in that role. Some realisitc options include Skylar Thompson, Will Grier, Hendon Hooker, John Wolford, Easton Stick, Brett Rypien, Brandon Allen or Cooper Rush.

The Patriots also have the NFL Draft in a month's time, where there are a number of quarterbacks in the lower rounds that could fill that third string or fourth string role.

Whichever way New England decides to go, they'll need to make sure they have a competent quarterback option as a depth piece, especially if there are injuries to Maye and/or Devito.

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