Patriots Cutting Cody Kessler Suggests They're Adding Another Quarterback Soon

The New England Patriots said goodbye to a certain member of their quarterback room from 2019 when Tom Brady departed for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and now, Bill Belichick and Co. have decided that another signal-caller will be hitting the road as well.

The Patriots are reportedly cutting quarterback Cody Kessler, per insider Ian Rapoport.

Interestingly, this isn't the first time the Pats have cut Kessler. They handed him a pink slip in October 2019 only to bring him right back onto the roster soon after.

Kessler, a former third-round pick out of USC, has grown into a serviceable backup ever since the Cleveland Browns drafted him in 2016. Kessler was inactive for most of New England's games last season, as Tom Brady handled the starting quarterback duties while Stidham served in the No. 2 role.

Some are postulating that this move is to clear space for a new arrival at QB, and that's a real possibility. New England could certainly target a quarterback in the NFL Draft, while others are surely hoping that Belichick swoops in for an experienced free agent starter like Cam Newton or Jameis Winston.

Newton would certainly the highest ceiling out of any of the players that the Patriots could bring in, but he might price out New England and their limited cap space with his demands. Cam or no Cam, another QB is needed, as a depth chart of Stidham and Brian Hoyer isn't exactly playoff material.