Few teams are as happy at the quarterback position as the New England Patriots. With Drake Maye entering his third season in the NFL, it looks like they have a franchise star for years to come. Still, there’s always room to solidify the backup quarterback position.
That’s exactly what the Patriots were looking for when they selected Behren Morton in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft. However, as Ethan Hurwitz of Sports Illustrated recently explained, the rookie quarterback is trending down.
“Morton started off his career with the Patriots hot, shining during rookie minicamp,” Hurwitz wrote. “Since then, he’s taken a step back in terms of how often he’s touching the football. The Texas Tech rookie has — obviously — been relegated to the third offensive unit in practices and is rarely able to get any reps during 11-on-11s.”
Worse than not getting many opportunities, when Morton did get his chance, it didn’t go well. It’s not the end of the world, given what the team had expected of him when they selected Morton 234th overall, but it’s also not great from who they expect to be their third quarterback behind Maye and Tommy DeVito.
“When he did get times to throw, he went 3-for-9 during the Patriots’ final mandatory minicamp practice of the year. It’s clear that the Patriots don’t have any issues with Morton sitting and developing his game, but you would have liked to see him end the spring on a crisper note,” Hurwitz wrote.
Everything to Know About New England Patriots QB Behren Morton
Now a 24-year-old rookie, Behren Morton is a Lubbock native who spent his entire college career, going back to 2001, playing for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. There, he would lead the Red Raiders to the College Football Playoff in 2025.
In 45 career college games, Morton completed 62.8% of his passes for 8,989 yards and 71 touchdowns to 28 interceptions. That’s 7.1 passing yards per attempt. He also rushed for 7 touchdowns. Morton had negative rushing yards in college, but that’s because sack yardage is counted toward rushing yards in college, unlike in the NFL.
Injuries became the concern for Morton in college. In 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, he dealt with injuries of some kind. That included multiple shoulder injuries, one of which was a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder, the other of which was to his left shoulder and would require surgery. In 2025, it was a hairline fracture in his right fibula that limited Morton.
Through all of that, the Patriots are getting an experienced rookie who makes good decisions. There are real questions about his durability, but not his toughness.
Behren Morton Recently Announced His Engagement
As it stands now, the Patriots aren’t in session and everyone has had a chance to take some time to regroup. For Behren Morton, it’s been a particularly special time, as he announced he recently got engaged.
Morton shared the news on Instagram. The post noted the date of the engagement and a Bible verse, which can be seen below.
This is just the next step in what has been an incredibly busy year for Morton. On January 1st, he played in his final college football game, losing to Oregon in the Orange Bowl. That was a College Football Playoff game.
Shortly after that, Morton got busy preparing for the NFL Draft in April. That’s when he would land in New England with the Patriots, obviously prompting a move to a new part of the country while he battles for a roster spot. Now, on top of all of that, his engagement.
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