New England Patriots waive QB Matt Corral, release Ian Book
The New England Patriots have made some quarterback moves. Per Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, New England waived Matt Corral from the exempt/left squad list and released Ian Book from the practice squad.
New England has played musical chairs at the quarterback position since the end of the preseason. This is just the latest move for the organization.
Currently, the Patriots have a quarterback roster of Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.
Corral was a third-round selection by the Carolina Panthers in the 2022 NFL Draft. He was cut by the team following the preseason. He has yet to play in a regular season game.
Book was a fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. He also spent a season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Book has started one game with the Saints, completing 12-of-20 passes for 135 yards with two interceptions.
New England is off to an 0-2 start to open the 2023 season, falling to Philadelphia and Miami. In the opener, Jones completed 35-of-54 passing attempts for 316 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. In the loss to the Dolphins, he threw for 231 yards with a touchdown and a pick.
The Patriots hope to get in the win column in Week 3, traveling to New York for a showdown with the Jets. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET and the game airs on CBS.
Matt Corral reportedly left team before opener
The news of the Patriots waiving Corral comes after he left the team ahead of the season opener against the Eagles. According to head coach Bill Belichick, he departed because of a “personal matter.”
“He’s in exempt status, and I don’t have any comment on it,” Belichick said, per CBS Sports. “That’s a personal matter.”
Corral was drafted by Carolina after a stellar college career at Ole Miss. He amassed more than 3,000 yards through the air in each of his final two seasons with the Rebels in 2020 and 2021.
In his final year in Oxford, Corral earned second-team All-SEC honors. That season, the quarterback threw for 3,349 yards with 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He also rushed for 614 yards and 11 additional scores.
Corral posted a 17-10 record as a starter for the Rebels during his career. He racked up 8,281 passing yards, 1,338 rushing yards and accounted for 75 total touchdowns while at Ole Miss.