Regular season
The number of games they started during the season is listed to the right in descending order:
This is a list of every starting quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL).
There have been thirty starting quarterbacks for the Patriots since their founding in 1960. Babe Parilli was the franchise's first longtime starter, leading the Patriots to their only playoff berth and championship game appearance while a member of the American Football League (AFL). Following the AFL–NFL merger in 1970, Jim Plunkett was drafted by the Patriots first overall to become the starting quarterback, but an unsuccessful tenure resulted in him being traded after five seasons. Plunkett was succeeded by Steve Grogan, who served as the team's primary starter during the late 1970s and helped lead them to their first NFL playoff appearances. A series of injuries caused Grogan to lose his starting job by the 1980s, although he remained on the team until 1990. The Patriots lacked a steady quarterback for most of the 1980s, with five (including Grogan) starting in the 1987 season. First-round selection Tony Eason, the longest-tenured of the decade, contributed to the Patriots making their Super Bowl debut, but lasted only three seasons as the primary starter.
In the 1990s, first overall pick Drew Bledsoe ended the Patriots' search for a quarterback by bringing the team to consistent playoff contention after five losing seasons. Bledsoe's success would be eclipsed the next decade when an injury caused him to be relieved by backup Tom Brady. As the franchise's longest-tenured quarterback from 2001 to 2019, Brady is credited with the Patriots dynasty that saw them set the records for Super Bowl appearances and wins. Following a one-off season in 2020 with free agent signing Cam Newton as the starter, the Patriots' starting quarterback from 2021–2023 was first round pick Mac Jones, who was named the starter at the beginning of his rookie season in 2021. After a successful rookie campaign, Jones' play continuously declined through his next two years, leading to his departure after the 2023 season.
The number of games they started during the season is listed to the right in descending order:
| Season(s) | Quarterback(s) |
|---|---|
| 1963 (AFL) | Babe Parilli (1–1) |
| 1976 | Steve Grogan (0–1) |
| 1978 | |
| 1982 | |
| 1985 | Tony Eason (3–1) |
| 1986 | Tony Eason (0–1) |
| 1994 | Drew Bledsoe (0–1) |
| 1996 | Drew Bledsoe (2–1) |
| 1997 | Drew Bledsoe (1–1) |
| 1998 | Scott Zolak (0–1) |
| 2001 | Tom Brady (3–0) |
| 2003 | |
| 2004 | |
| 2005 | Tom Brady (1–1) |
| 2006 | Tom Brady (2–1) |
| 2007 | |
| 2009 | Tom Brady (0–1) |
| 2010 | |
| 2011 | Tom Brady (2–1) |
| 2012 | Tom Brady (1–1) |
| 2013 | |
| 2014 | Tom Brady (3–0) |
| 2015 | Tom Brady (1–1) |
| 2016 | Tom Brady (3–0) |
| 2017 | Tom Brady (2–1) |
| 2018 | Tom Brady (3–0) |
| 2019 | Tom Brady (0–1) |
| 2021 | Mac Jones (0–1) |
These quarterbacks have at least 40 starts for the Patriots in regular season games.
| GP | Games played |
|---|---|
| GS | Games started |
| W | Number of wins as starting quarterback |
| L | Number of losses as starting quarterback |
| T | Number of ties as starting quarterback |
| Pct | Winning percentage as starting quarterback |
| Name | Years | GP | GS | W | L | T | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Brady | 2000–2019 | 285 | 283 | 219 | 64 | — | .768 |
| Steve Grogan | 1975–1990 | 149 | 135 | 75 | 60 | — | .556 |
| Drew Bledsoe | 1993–2001 | 124 | 123 | 63 | 60 | — | .512 |
| Babe Parilli | 1961–1967 | 94 | 83 | 44 | 32 | 7 | .572 |
| Jim Plunkett | 1971–1975 | 61 | 61 | 23 | 38 | — | .377 |
| Tony Eason | 1983–1989 | 72 | 49 | 28 | 21 | — | .571 |
| Mac Jones | 2021–2023 | 42 | 42 | 18 | 24 | — | .429 |
These quarterbacks have over 10,000 career passing yards with the Patriots in regular season games.
| Name | Comp | Att | % | Yds | TD | Int |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Brady | 6,377 | 9,988 | 63.8 | 74,571 | 541 | 179 |
| Drew Bledsoe | 2,544 | 4,518 | 56.3 | 29,657 | 166 | 138 |
| Steve Grogan | 1,879 | 3,593 | 52.3 | 26,886 | 182 | 208 |
| Babe Parilli | 1,140 | 2,413 | 47.2 | 16,747 | 132 | 138 |
| Jim Plunkett | 729 | 1,503 | 48.5 | 12,665 | 62 | 87 |
| Tony Eason | 876 | 1,500 | 52.3 | 10,732 | 60 | 48 |
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The Patriots play home games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is 22 miles (35 km) southwest of Boston. The franchise is owned by Robert Kraft, who purchased the team in 1994. As of 2023, the Patriots are tied for the third-most valuable sports team in the world and have sold out every home game since 1994.
Super Bowl XXXVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2001 season. The underdog Patriots defeated the heavily favored Rams by the score of 20–17. It was New England's first Super Bowl championship, and the franchise's first league championship of any kind. The game was also notable for snapping the AFC East's long streak of not being able to win a Super Bowl championship, as the division's teams had lost 7 Super Bowls between the Miami Dolphins' victory in 1974 and the Patriots' 2002 win. This was the last Super Bowl to feature the St. Louis Rams; after relocating to Los Angeles in 2016, the Rams returned to the NFL's championship game in Super Bowl LIII, in which they were again defeated by the Patriots. The Rams would not win another Super Bowl until Super Bowl LVI, as the Los Angeles Rams, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals.
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots and was a central contributor to the franchise's dynasty from 2001 to 2019. In his final three seasons, he was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady is widely regarded as the greatest quarterback of all time.
James William Plunkett is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He achieved his greatest success during his final eight seasons with the Raiders franchise, whom he led to two Super Bowl wins.
Drew McQueen Bledsoe is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football at Washington State University, where he won Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year as a junior, and was selected by the Patriots first overall in the 1993 NFL draft. Considered the face of the Patriots franchise during his nine seasons with the team, Bledsoe helped improve New England's fortunes from 1993 to 2001. Under Bledsoe, the Patriots ended a seven-year postseason drought, qualified for the playoffs four times, clinched their division twice, and made a Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XXXI. He was also named to three Pro Bowls and became the youngest quarterback to play in the NFL's Pro Bowl game in 1995.
Jonathan Paul Losman is an American football coach and former player. Losman played professionally as a quarterback for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He played college football for the Tulane Green Wave and was selected by the Bills in the first round in the 2004 NFL draft.
Vincent Frank Testaverde Sr. is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning consensus All-American honors and winning the Heisman Trophy in 1986.
Steven James Grogan is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for sixteen seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats and was selected by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 1975 NFL draft.
Asante Tyrell Samuel Sr. is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He was born in Accra, Ghana and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He played college football for the UCF Knights and was selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL draft. Samuel also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons. He led the NFL twice in interceptions, in 2006 and 2009, and is considered one of the all-time greatest Patriots and cornerbacks. He is the father of Asante Samuel Jr., a cornerback who was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers.
Charles Carroll "Tony" Eason IV is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini. Taken 15th overall by the Patriots in the 1983 NFL draft, he was one of the six quarterbacks selected during the first round. Eason served as New England's primary starter from 1984 to 1986, where he helped the team make their Super Bowl debut in Super Bowl XX. Competing as the starter with Steve Grogan throughout his Patriots tenure, Eason was released during the 1989 season. He spent his final two seasons as a backup with the New York Jets.
Scott David Zolak is an American broadcaster and former professional football player. He played quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. Over the course of his career, he played in 55 games, with 7 starts, for the Patriots and Miami Dolphins, completed 124 of 248 passes for 1,314 yards, threw eight touchdowns and seven interceptions, and finished his career with a passer rating of 64.8.
Matthew Brennan Cassel is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. Cassel was a member of seven NFL teams, most notably the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football for the USC Trojans and was selected by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL draft. Since retiring, Cassel has served as a television football analyst on NBC Sports Boston, as well as Big Ten and Notre Dame college football games on NBC and Peacock.
Adam Joshua Feeley is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL draft. He played in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins and St. Louis Rams, as well as his two stints with the Eagles.
Damon Paul Huard is an American former professional football quarterback. He is the director of community relations and fundraising for the University of Washington football program, his alma mater.
The 1990 New England Patriots season was the team's 31st, and 21st in the National Football League (NFL). It was the first for head coach Rod Rust, who was looking to improve on the 5-11 mark from the year before that cost Raymond Berry, who had led the Patriots to the playoffs twice in his tenure, his job.
The Jets–Patriots rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the New York Jets and the New England Patriots.
Axel Edward Brian Hoyer is an American professional football quarterback who is currently a free agent. Since joining the NFL in 2009 as an undrafted free agent, he has started for eight different teams, the second-most in league history. Hoyer's longest stint has been with the New England Patriots for eight non-consecutive seasons, primarily as a backup, and he was a member of the team that won Super Bowl LIII. His most successful season was with the Houston Texans in 2015, when he helped lead them to a division title.
The Bills–Patriots rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots.
The Tom Brady–Bill Belichick era, also known as the Brady–Belichick era, the New England Patriots dynasty, or the Patriots dynasty, was a sports dynasty of the New England Patriots in the National Football League (NFL) that lasted from the 2000 to the 2019 season. The dynasty is named after quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick, who are regarded as among the greatest in their respective positions. Belichick and Brady are consistently credited with the Patriots' success and are considered responsible for one of the sport's longest and most dominant dynasties. They are also credited with helping to create and sustain the culture around the team, dubbed the "Patriot Way", where there is an emphasis on personal accountability, consistent improvement, and a focus on team success over personal gain.