Report: Patriots have interest in 1 notable veteran QB

March 1, 2024

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Aug 10, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; A New England Patriots helmet sits on the sideline during the first half against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Patriots are widely expected to select a quarterback early in the 2024 NFL Draft, but they reportedly have interest in at least one of the top players available at the position on the free-agent market.

Baker Mayfield has some “supporters” within the Patriots organization, according to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. An argument could be made that New England needs to check in with every top available quarterback given their current situation, but Kyed adds that the team has not yet shown interest in Kirk Cousins.

The Patriots have ample salary cap space, so paying a quarterback top dollar this offseason would not be an issue for them. However, they seem unlikely to want to give Mayfield a $40 million salary over several years, which is what the 29-year-old could command if he tests the open market.

Mayfield was a great fit with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season. He threw for over 4,000 yards for the first time in his career and had a career-high 28 touchdowns compared to 10 interceptions. Mayfield led the Buccaneers to the playoffs, where they dominated the Philadelphia Eagles in the opening round before losing to the Detroit Lions.

Though the most likely outcome is that Mayfield remains with the Bucs, there is some familiarity between him and New England. Patriots executives Eliot Wolf and Alonzo Highsmith were with the Cleveland Browns in 2018 when Mayfield was drafted first overall. The Patriots also recently hired Alex Van Pelt as their new offensive coordinator. Van Pelt served in the same role with the Browns from 2020-2023, so he also has experience working with Mayfield.

Mayfield has even been linked to one of the Buccaneers’ rivals, so Tampa Bay might have to spend big to keep him. If the Patriots enter the mix, the price could get even more steep.