The New England Patriots have filled up their backup quarterback spot by claiming second-year signal-caller Matt Corral on waivers. Corral was waived by the Carolina Panthers earlier this week.
Corral has yet to play in a regular-season game since being drafted by the Panthers in the third round of last year’s draft. He missed the entire 2022 campaign after undergoing surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury he suffered during the preseason.
Corral played in all three preseason games for Carolina in 2023, completing 28 passes in 47 attempts and throwing for 249 yards. The Panthers ended up deciding to have starter Bryce Young and veteran backup Andy Dalton as their only quarterbacks on the 53-man roster but hoped to bring Corral on the practice squad. However, New England jumped in and claimed the former Ole Miss to bolster their depleted QB room.
Prior to claiming Corral, the Pats had last year’s starter, Mac Jones, as their only quarterback on the active roster. The team previously waived second-year player Billy Zappe and undrafted rookie Malik Cunningham and then signed both to the practice squad.
The interesting thing about the Pats’ move is that they originally held the 94th overall pick used to draft Corrall. They traded the pick to the Panthers, receiving a 2022 fourth-round selection and a 2023 third-round pick. They drafted Zappe with the former and used the latter on Sacramento State’s linebacker Marte Mapu.
