Ryan Mallett In Danger Of Not Making The Patriots’ Roster?

Ben Volin of the Boston Globe mentions that there has been “increasing talk” that the Patriots may only keep two quarterbacks on their final 53-man roster.

This comes after backup QB Ryan Mallett struggled in the team’s first preseason game against the Redskins, while second-round pick Jimmy Garoppolo played pretty well.

Volin mentions that it will be interesting to see how much playing time the Patriots give Mallett this weekend. If Mallett ends up playing most of the second, third, and even into the fourth quarter, it could be an indication that they are comfortable with Mallett backing up Tom Brady for another season, according to Volin.

Conversely, if Garoppolo were to play most of the second-half, Mallett’s roster spot could be in jeopardy.

It’s interesting to see how the discussion surrounding Mallett has changed in just a matter of weeks. It wasn’t long ago that trade rumors were circulating that Mallett could be headed to the Texans to be reunited with former offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien.

Mike Mayock of the NFL Network mentioned a few weeks ago that Mallett was a starting-caliber quarterback, but it appears as though one poor performance in the preseason with increased competition is all it takes to shift the discussion.

Mallett, 26, is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is set to make $776,976 this season. He hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since 2012.