Buffalo Bills: Predicting starting QB for the other AFC East teams in 2021

New England Patriots

The team most likely to have a new starting quarterback this upcoming season is going to be the New England Patriots. This past season they were tasked with finding the replacement for Tom Brady, who left for the Tampa Bay Bucs.

They elected to go with former first overall pick Cam Newton and while he got off to a strong start, he struggled down the stretch. They also have Jarrett Stidham on the roster but the fact they didn’t feel comfortable giving him a start, even when they were out of playoff contention, doesn’t make him a realistic option to start next season.

This means they are likely to look to add a new quarterback through free agency or the draft but it wouldn’t be surprising to see them go both routes. They are likely to add their quarterback of the future but could bring in a veteran for the next season or two.

One option that would make a lot of sense would be current 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. He has struggled the past few seasons and the fact that the 49ers could save over $23 million in cap space, makes this a likely move this offseason. Prior to going to San Francisco, Garoppolo started his career in New England for three seasons.

At only 29 years of age, Garoppolo could be interested in a short term contract in hopes of improving his value while the Patriots get that gap starter until their long-term option is ready at quarterback.