The New England Patriots are reportedly releasing Joshua Dobbs, and that means Tommy DeVito will be the new backup to Drake Maye.
Lucky for the Patriots, they only needed Dobbs to play 44 snaps last season. However, now the Patriots are going into the season with Super Bowl expectations, and having a reliable backup is important. Is DeVito good enough?
DeVito has started eight games in his NFL career, all eight coming for the New York Giants. He has played in a total of 12 games and served as the Patriots No. 3 quarterback last season. He signed a two-year, $4 million deal with the Patriots this season.
DeVito is 3-5 as a starter, but has actually played well at times. He has 1,358 passing yards and eight passing touchdowns. He has thrown three interceptions and has a 65% completion rate. He also has 227 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. He played solidly for the Giants, but the Patriots are undoubtedly in a better position than the Giants were when DeVito was with them.
He could be a great No. 2 option in the Patriots system, with a much better culture around him as well. He got his first real chance to start in 2023, when he started six straight games for the Giants. The Giants went 3-3 in that stretch, and picked up wins against the Washington Commanders, Patriots and Green Bay Packers.
The Packers also made the playoffs that season, so DeVito has shown he can beat good teams. DeVito may not be a superstar, but he could end up being a great backup who can fill in for Maye in an emergency. In an ideal world, Maye would be healthy all season and play every meaningful snap.
More NFL: Patriots Reportedly Release Joshua Dobbs After Re-Signing Tommy DeVito