In his two games of preseason action, Patriots third-string quarterback Ben Wooldridge has completed 16 of 25 passes for 187 yards and one score, against no interceptions.
In his two games of preseason action, Patriots third-string quarterback Ben Wooldridge has completed 16 of 25 passes for 187 yards and one score, against no interceptions.Abbie Parr/Associated Press
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Every rep counts.
It’s a philosophy that Patriots third-string quarterback Ben Wooldridge has lived by throughout his football journey, and one he’s continued to embrace in his first summer with the Patriots.
The 6-foot-2-inch, 214-pounder, a rookie out of Louisiana, never lets a rep go to waste. Even if Drake Maye or Joshua Dobbs is the one taking the snap, Wooldridge never lets his mind stray from the action.
“As a backup quarterback, you don’t get all the reps,” he explains. “But there’s no reason why you can’t get a rep if you’re not in it.”
His practice routine is fairly simple: The 25-year-old, who is three years older than Maye, stands roughly 10 to 15 feet behind whoever is under center. He’ll mirror the quarterback who’s taking the practice rep in the 11 on 11 drill, pointing out the protection scheme and evaluating the field during the pre-snap process. When the ball is snapped, he even goes through the reads, and will occasionally pantomime a throw.
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels (center) talks with quarterbacks (from left) Ben Wooldridge, Joshua Dobbs, and Drake Maye during training camp.
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels (center) talks with quarterbacks (from left) Ben Wooldridge, Joshua Dobbs, and Drake Maye during training camp.John Tlumacki/Globe Staff
He said it’s a process that started when he was in college at Fresno State, and continued after he transferred to Louisiana. Now, as the third quarterback on the New England depth chart, he’s maintained the practice. He said it’s a small way to stay sharp while you’re on the sidelines.
“Even when I became a starter at UL, I still did it when the twos were in,” said Wooldridge, who threw for 38 career touchdown passes in college, including 17 last season for the Ragin’ Cajuns. “The situation I’m in now is you’ve got to be great at getting better, while you’re not getting the rep.
“I may not be throwing the pass, but I’m still going through the read. I’m still getting the rep and then I go in and watch the film. So I get in double the reps, and then I watch with the coaches for the third rep.”
Rookie QB Ben Wooldridge warming up as he readies for the preseason finale here vs the Giants. He told us his Mom Sheri hasn’t missed a game since his Sophomore year in HS, so I think she’ll be here tonight 😊🏈 - #NEvsNYG @Patriots @wbz pic.twitter.com/up1HgyVGiX
— Dan Roche (@RochieWBZ) August 21, 2025
Quarterback coach Ashton Grant praised Wooldridge and his assiduous engagement, saying it’s helped make him a better quarterback in this system.
“It’s just something we talk about in the quarterback room: Stealing reps and taking advantage of every opportunity,” Grant said of Wooldridge. “If you can stand in the back and take yourself through those mental reps, it’s almost the same as getting the same step as Drake. You’ve gotten the same look. It’s kind of cool to be able to ask: Would I have done the same thing the starter just did? And they can talk about it and have that discussion.
“And then, the other thing is after practice, he takes my script and goes through the entire script himself with the other receivers. By him doing that, he’s really doubling his reps. He’s getting all Drake’s reps, he’s getting all of Dobbs’s reps, and then he’s getting his on the back end. I think he’s doing a good job.”
Wooldridge has used those extra reps to his advantage this summer. Going into Thursday’s preseason finale, Wooldridge has shown a nice command of the offense, going 16-for-25 for 187 yards and a touchdown in a pair of games — prompting some speculation that he could upend Dobbs in the race for the backup spot.
The rookie brushes off that talk, and instead credits a large part of his early successes to Maye and Dobbs.
“Drake’s an awesome dude. Really talented, really smart. He’s still young in the league, but he acts like a vet,” Wooldridge said. “And then Dobbs has seen it all. He’s been around forever.
“And really I’ve learned a ton from Dobbs, just the little conversations we have daily about his process. How early does he get to the stadium? What does he do before a game? Does he change it? Does he change his routine from practice to the game? Or how does he prepare for a preseason game? Just kind of picking his brain. And really I feel bad for Dobbs because I ask him about a thousand questions a day.”
Wooldridge is self-aware enough to understand his place on the depth chart, and that the Patriots are better off when Maye is on the field. But that doesn’t mean he’s going to stop finding small ways to try and find an edge.
“You always harp on the details and the small things, but I think everything just gets magnified a little more when you get to this level,” he said. “And I was talking to Coach Grant literally the other day about this; we always harp on the details and the small things that will win you games, but that’s so much larger when you get up here.
“It’s magnified a lot more, times a thousand. You’ve really got to tap into those details. That’s what will allow you to win games and be successful.”
Christopher Price can be reached at christopher.price@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at christopherprice.bsky.social.