NFL Rumors: Patriots Exploring All Possible QB Upgrades amid Justin Fields Trade Buzz

The New England Patriots are reportedly open to multiple possibilities in their effort to find a new starting quarterback for 2024 and beyond.

According to Chad Graff of The Athletic, the "most likely" route is for New England to select a quarterback with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, but the Pats are "exploring all options" when it comes to upgrading the position.

One potential move is a trade for Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields, as the Bears weigh whether to keep him or deal him and then use the No. 1 overall pick on a quarterback such as USC's Caleb Williams, North Carolina's Drake Maye or LSU's Jayden Daniels.

Since future Hall of Famer Tom Brady departed New England following the 2019 season, the Patriots have been searching for answers at quarterback, and their team success has been fleeting at best because of it.

The Pats went 7-9 in their one year with Cam Newton under center, which led to them selecting Mac Jones with the No. 15 pick in the 2021 draft out of Alabama.

While the team exceeded expectations to some degree during Jones' rookie season by going 10-7 and reaching the playoffs, it hasn't been back since.

Jones took a noticeable step back in 2022, and the Patriots finished 8-9. Then, Jones and the team as a whole bottomed out last season.

The Patriots went 4-13, which was their worst record during head coach Bill Belichick's 24-year tenure with the franchise, and it led to Belichick and the Pats mutually agreeing to part ways.

Jones went 2-9 as a starter in 2023, and he completed 64.9 percent of his passes for 2,120 yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in what was the worst year of his career statistically.

Of course, Jones wasn't helped by a complete and utter lack of weapons, but he didn't show enough flashes regardless, which is why he was benched for Bailey Zappe and is highly unlikely to start for the Pats in 2024.

New England has multiple paths it can explore when it comes to finding its next QB, including a trade, the draft or a free-agent signing.

Fields is the main possible trade candidate at quarterback, and there is plenty of thought that he has a ton of untapped potential.

The soon-to-be 25-year-old signal-caller missed four games due to injury in 2023, but he still set career marks with five wins as a starter, a completion percentage of 61.4 percent and 2,562 passing yards. He also threw 16 touchdown passes compared to nine interceptions and rushed for 657 yards and four scores.

Fields would bring back the rushing threat that Newton gave the Patriots for one season, but he also has far more upside as a passer.

If the Patriots would rather start from scratch at quarterback, they can either take one at No. 3 in the draft or attempt to trade up to the No. 1 or No. 2 spot.

Williams, Maye and Daniels are widely viewed as surefire high picks, and any of them would give the Pats a high-ceiling quarterback they can build around.

Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, Oregon's Bo Nix and Washington's Michael Penix Jr. are other quarterbacks the Patriots could target as well should they trade down.

On the free-agent front, longtime Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is the clear best option, although he is 35 years old and coming off a torn Achilles.

Cousins was having an MVP-caliber season before getting injured in 2023, though, as the four-time Pro Bowler completed 69.5 percent of his passes for 2,331 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions in just eight games.

Baker Mayfield is another free agent who would represent an upgrade for New England, as he resurrected his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023, completing 64.3 percent of his passes for 4,044 yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Mayfield was named a Pro Bowler for the first time, and the Bucs both won the NFC South and won a playoff game.

Any other free-agent quarterback would likely be a stopgap option, including Gardner Minshew, Ryan Tannehill, Jameis Winston and Jacoby Brissett.

The Patriots would be hard-pressed to get worse quarterback play in 2024 than they did in 2023, and the good news for them is they will have no shortage of options when it comes to finding Jones' replacement.