Tag: Will Grier

Patriots reportedly pick starting QB for Sunday’s game vs Chargers

The Patriots have reportedly made their decision on a starting QB.

Move over, Mac Jones. There’s a new starting quarterback for the New England Patriots.

On Friday, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reported the Patriots are starting second-year quarterback Bailey Zappe for the first time this season in Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Backup Malik Cunningham is expected to be elevated from the practice squad and work into the mix as well in package plays. Meanwhile, Jones isn’t expected to take snaps at all, unless an injury forces him onto the field.

It’s a major shake-up for the Patriots, but it’s also one that was believed to be coming after Jones was benched in back-to-back games.

It has been a rough season for the former Alabama standout, who hasn’t played with anywhere near the same level of confidence he showed in his rookie season.

Keep in mind, Zappe starting this week doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be the starter moving forward. Granted, he’ll have an opportunity to earn more future starts if he plays well. But the starting quarterback situation in New England could turn into a weekly decision by coach Bill Belichick moving forward.

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After latest QB struggles, Patriots reportedly re-signing Will Grier

Backup QB Will Grier is reportedly returning to New England.

The New England Patriots are re-signing veteran quarterback Will Grier to their practice squad less than a week after cutting him from the main roster. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the news on Tuesday.

Grier was believed to be in the mix to potentially start for the Patriots with the continued struggles for Mac Jones. Bailey Zappe also hasn’t done enough behind the scenes to prove he’s worthy of the starting job title.

Even if Grier wasn’t the answer at quarterback, he at least offered something different than the team was seeing with Jones and Zappe under center. But those hopes were nixed after coach Bill Belichick claimed the journeyman backup had some catching up to do in the offense.

Not long after those comments, Grier was released from the main roster.

Now that he’s back in the mix, he can continue competing for an opportunity to be elevated from the practice squad back to the main roster. It might seem like a long-shot hope with only six games left in the regular season, but given the ongoing struggles for the Patriots at quarterback, it shouldn’t be considered out of the question, either.

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Instant analysis of Patriots waiving Will Grier amid QB struggles

The QB carousel continues in New England.

The supposed open quarterback competition for the New England Patriots ended at the same place it started, with Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe being the top-two options.

On Saturday,  ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Patriots had waived veteran signal-caller Will Grier a day before the Week 12 matchup against the New York Giants.

After the embarrassing loss to the Indianapolis Colts in a game where Jones was benched, there was a shared belief that the Patriots would consider going in a different direction at quarterback. Grier was an obvious option because he was a player that had yet to take a snap this season.

There was a mystery surrounding him that seemed enticing for an offense that has failed long enough to know Jones and Zappe aren’t the answer. But Grier, who was signed in late September, couldn’t catch up after missing all of the spring and summer work with the Patriots.

Coach Bill Belichick alluded to this when appearing on Patriots All Access with Scott Zolak.

“(He’s doing) a little bit better each week,” Belichick said. “Just a little more familiarity with being able to run our plays. He just hasn’t had a chance to — you know what it’s like playing quarterback. The backup quarterback, you never get enough reps as it is.

“So, that’s the backup quarterback, and then the third quarterback is even less than that. And when you’re new and you haven’t been here in training camp and had the full background of OTAs and training camp and a chance really to run our core plays, it’s just a lot to catch up on.”

Grier failed to climb the depth chart, and the Patriots needed the open roster spot, which could be used to elevate offensive tackle Riley Reiff from injured reserve or Conor McDermott from the practice squad.

Per the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan, Jones and Zappe split all of the starting reps this week. With Malik Cunningham not getting quarterback reps and Grier now a free agent, that leaves Jones and Zappe as the only two options to start for the Patriots on Sunday.

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Patriots waive QB Will Grier, ahead of Week 12 matchup vs Giants

The Patriots are back down to three quarterbacks.

The quarterback competition for the New England Patriots is now down to three players with the team reportedly waiving Will Grier. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the news on Saturday.

Grier worked tirelessly behind the scenes to get up to speed with the Patriots offense, but he was never able to catch up with Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe in the end.

Coach Bill Belichick has yet to name a starting quarterback for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants. That means it’s likely down to Jones and Zappe considering rookie Malik Cunningham hasn’t even taken a practice rep under center since Week 6.

Jones has been spotted working with the first-team unit this week, while Zappe has been in with the second-team. So it could end up being business as usual for the 2-8 Patriots against the Giants.

Even with all of Jones’ struggles, he clearly still gives the team their best chance of winning. That’s equally as depressing, if not more so, than the team having a bad offense and the worst record in the AFC.

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Giants vs. Patriots: 5 biggest storylines for Week 12

The New York Giants face the New England Patriots in Week 12. Here are the five biggest storylines to follow for this contest.

The New York Giants (3-8) play host to the New England Patriots (2-8) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey this Sunday afternoon.

Here are five storylines we’re following in Week 12.

Behind Enemy Lines: Week 12 Q&A with Patriots Wire

With a Week 12 game between the New York Giants and New England Patriots on tap, we go behind enemy lines for a chat with Patriots Wire.

The New York Giants (3-8) and New England Patriots (2-8) will square off on Sunday afternoon in a Week 12 matchup at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Giants opened the week as 3.5-point home underdogs and that’s where the spread remains of this writing after briefly dropping to +3.

With this matchup on tap, Giants Wire took the opportunity to hold a Q&A with Patriots Wire managing editor Jordy McElroy.

Twitter reacts to Bill Belichick still undecided on starting QB, two days before game

The Patriots are two days away from Sunday’s game against the Giants, and they still haven’t decided on a starting quarterback.

The New England Patriots are two days away from their Week 12 clash with the New York Giants, and they still haven’t made a decision on a starting quarterback.

When pressed on the issue at Friday’s press conference, Belichick refused to broach the subject and officially name a starter. So the Patriots will go into the weekend with the same uncertainty that’s been hovering over the team all week at the most important position on the football field.

Mac Jones has reportedly been getting first-team reps during the media portion of practice, while Bailey Zappe has worked in with the second-team unit.

Meanwhile, Belichick has alluded to Will Grier still having some catching up to do in the offense, and Malik Cunningham hasn’t even taken a practice snap at quarterback since before the Patriots’ Week 6 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders.

It’s easy to see why outsiders looking in would consider the current quarterback situation in New England a complete mess right now. Here’s what people are saying on social media about the team’s quarterback situation:

Mac Jones’ presser comments might have answered Patriots QB mystery

Did Mac Jones answer the starting quarterback question in New England?

Who will start at quarterback for the New England Patriots on Sunday against the New York Giants?

When it comes to that question, it has been like pulling teeth for reporters to get any direction on where the Patriots, who have been tight-lipped on the situation, are leaning ahead of the game. However, quarterback Mac Jones might have answered the ongoing mystery, when speaking with media members on Wednesday.

“I hope so. That’s the plan, I think,” Jones said, when asked if he was starting on Sunday. “I always work really hard for that, really put a lot of attention in detail in the week, like I talked about. And a lot of the decision-making is things I can’t control, but I can control my attitude and my effort, like I talked about. I’m really thankful, overall, just to be in the NFL and be playing quarterback. And Thanksgiving, right? It’s a great week to be grateful for a lot of things.”

Jones didn’t outright say he’s going to be the starter on Sunday because—as even he alluded to—he doesn’t make those decisions.

But it’s also hard to imagine any other scenario unfolding with Bailey Zappe, Will Grier and Malik Cunningham not receiving the brunt of the first-team reps at practice. If the Patriots really were moving in a different direction, those players would need that extra work on the field.

So far, it has been business as usual with Jones taking first-team reps and getting press conference duties. If nothing has changed during the week, it’s hard to envision anything changing on Sunday.

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Patriots QB Will Grier is ‘ready’ if called to start vs Giants

With so many questions surrounding the Patriots’ quarterback position, Will Grier shared his mindset heading into Week 12

You never have to get ready if you always stay ready.

That’s the mental approach New England Patriots backup quarterback Will Grier is taking ahead of Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.

Coming out of the bye week, there have been questions surrounding the starting quarterback job for the team. Mac Jones had possibly his worst performance under center with the Patriots in the team’s Week 10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

So the starting job is believed to be up for grabs this week with Grier, Bailey Zappe and Malik Cunningham all battling it out with Jones for reps.

“I think my role in my entire career has been to just be ready. I don’t make any decisions around here. …If I have to step up and play I’ll be ready to go,” Cunningham told reporters on Tuesday.

Grier, who is on his fourth NFL team, might only be a few good practice sessions away from earning his third start in five seasons. The veteran quarterback hasn’t shied away from opportunities in the past. It would be foolish to think he’d start doing so now.

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Bill Belichick’s latest comments on starting QB situation in New England

Will Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe or Will Grier start on Sunday? Bill Belichick offered the latest on the QB situation for the Patriots.

In the latest episode of “How the Quarterback World Turns” in New England, coach Bill Belichick has still not made a decision on who will be the New England Patriots’ starting quarterback in Week 12.

Shocker.

The Patriots are expected to play a game of musical chairs at the position at practice this week before ultimately deciding on either Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe or Will Grier to take starting snaps under center in Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.

“I’ve told all the players the same thing: be ready to go,” Belichick said at Tuesday’s press conference, when asked if he’d made a decision on a starter.

There is no word on if rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham could potentially work his way into the mix as well.

The Patriots aren’t going to lie down and give up, but the hope of making the playoffs is far gone with the team sitting at 2-8 on the season. So one would expect them to take a chance on some of the other players, like Cunningham, on the roster that don’t get as much playing time.

But then again, the goal might be to scrap together as many wins as possible and bow out of the 2023 season respectfully. That line of thinking would explain Jones still being in the mix as a potential starter.

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