Coming into the 2023 NFL season, there was hope that Mac Jones would be able to bounce back after a poor 2022 campaign. That hasn't yet panned out for the Patriots.
While Jones showed decent flashes in his first three games under the team's new offensive coordinator, Bill O'Brien, he faceplanted against the Cowboys and Saints.
Jones completed just 55.8 percent of his passes for 260 yards and four interceptions in those contests, and two of the picks were returned for touchdowns. He posted a paltry passer rating of 35 and the Patriots lost the games by a combined score of 72-3 in part because of his poor performance.
Bill Belichick and O'Brien have remained adamant that Jones will remain New England's starting quarterback. However, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported ahead of Week 6 that Jones would be on a short leash if his struggles continue.
That has led many to question what the Patriots' plan at quarterback would be if Jones flounders against a lowly Raiders defense. But who would be the team's top backup at quarterback? Would it be Bailey Zappe, Will Grier or the recently signed Malik Cunningham?
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Here's what to know about the Patriots quarterback depth chart as Jones continues to skate the thin ice.
Who is the Patriots' backup QB?
The Patriots' backup quarterback as of Week 6 is Malik Cunningham. The Louisville product signed with the team after going undrafted in 2023 and impressed the team enough in the preseason to earn a practice squad spot.
Cunningham cross-trained at quarterback and receiver during the preseason. The 25-year-old is a great athlete and was an elite scrambler during his time at Louisville, so it made sense to use him at multiple positions.
But evidently, the Patriots have liked what they've seen out of him enough to make him the full-time backup quarterback. And because of his athleticism, he could be involved in a specific package of plays for the Patriots offense as a complement to the more stationary Mac Jones.
The Patriots may also be able to use him in a variety of other roles including quarterback. He was warming up as both a receiver and kick returner before the Raiders game, per MassLive's Mark Daniels.
Backup QB Malik Cunningham is warming up as receiver and kick returner pic.twitter.com/nd1hXYBlPy
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) October 15, 2023
So, perhaps Belichick is planning on using Cunningham as a Taysom Hill type of playmaker. But if Jones struggles or gets hurt, Cunningham will get the call at the quarterback position.
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Patriots QB depth chart
The Patriots now have four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster after signing Cunningham to a three-year deal from the practice squad. Below is a look at how the position shakes out for the team:
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Mac Jones |
| 2 | Malik Cunningham |
| 3 | Bailey Zappe |
| 4 | Will Grier |
Cunningham has effectively leapfrogged Zappe and Grier for the backup quarterback position. It isn't yet clear if that is because the Patriots have faith in his ability as a quarterback or because he has the athleticism and positional versatility that the others at the position simply don't have. We should find out more about that in Week 6 against the Raiders.
Zappe, meanwhile, will be the team's emergency third-string quarterback. He was expected to be the team's top backup throughout the offseason but was surprisingly released among their final cuts.
Zappe eventually made his way from the practice squad back to the active roster. Still, his release made it clear that the Patriots had soured on his long-term potential despite his 2-0 record as a starter as a rookie in 2022.
Grier is evidently the fourth-string quarterback for the Patriots now and it's worth wondering whether they will keep him long-term. They signed him off the Bengals' practice squad ahead of their Week 4 game against the Cowboys, a team for which Grier played in 2021 and 2022, but haven't made him active for a game yet.
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With Cunnningham now on the active roster, Grier could end up being the odd man out — unless the Patriots are willing to stash some extra quarterbacks as they navigate turmoil at the position.
