The New England Patriots spent the first two decades of the 21st century without having to worry much about the quarterback position.
That changed during the 2020 NFL offseason, when Tom Brady became an unrestricted free agent for the first time at age 42. He decided to leave the Patriots and join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, officially ending the Brady and Bill Belichick partnership after 20 years and six Super Bowls.
Since then, New England has searched for Brady's successor. Replacing the veteran quarterback – who made 283 starts of a possible 304 after his 2001 debut as a starter – has proven to be a tough task for the Patriots.