Patriots release Jake Dolegala to bring quarterback group down to four again

The New England Patriots have made a change to their quarterback room. As first reported by Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus, the team has decided to release Jake Dolegala to bring its quarterback group down to four players again.

Dolegala arrived in New England two weeks ago when the Patriots claimed him off waivers from the Green Bay Packers. Since then, the 24-year-old has served as the fourth passer behind Cam Newton, Mac Jones and Brian Hoyer.

His two-week tenure with the Patriots was his second stint with the organization. Dolegala, who entered the NFL as a rookie free agent signing by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2019, originally arrived in New England via the club’s practice squad last September. With the exception of a four-day stretch in November, Dolegala spent the entire remainder of his second year in the NFL on the Patriots’ developmental roster.

The Patriots decided to retain Dolegala via a reserve/futures contract after its season ended in early January. He remained with the club until late April, when he was let go after Jones was selected in the first round of the draft. The Central Connecticut State product later spent two months in Green Bay.

While he did participate in all ten of the Patriots’ training camp practices after returning, Dolegala saw only limited opportunities in full-team drills. His release should therefore not be considered a surprise.

He was merely a camp arm, and the writing was on the wall even with fellow QB Jarrett Stidham remaining on the physically unable to perform list after undergoing back surgery.

How the Patriots will fill Dolegala’s spot on the roster remains to be seen. One option would be third-year quarterback Jordan Ta’amu, who was among a group of players recently brought in for workouts.