The New England Patriots have added to their quarterback room, claiming Tommy DeVito off waivers after he was released by the New York Giants, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.
“The Patriots have claimed QB Tommy DeVito, source says. New England made a run at DeVito in 2023 before he signed with the Giants’ practice squad. He now heads to Foxboro after two seasons, 12 games and 8 TDs with his hometown team,” Garafolo wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
DeVito was a New Jersey native and was somewhat of a fan favorite for the Giants. In 2023, DeVito started in six games for the team and helped them get a win against the Washington Commanders in Week 11, where he threw three touchdowns.
With the Giants signing Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in free agency this offseason and selecting Jaxson Dart in the first round of the draft, it was a slim chance that DeVito would make the final roster.
Now, DeVito should be a solid backup behind Drake Maye and Joshua Dobbs, and his performance in the preseason shows that he has the skills to make plays when his number is called. In correlation with claiming DeVito, the Patriots released wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, after the team tried to trade him but couldn't find a deal.
Bourne was coming into his fifth season with the Patriots and was going to be seen as depth behind the other receivers on the group, but it looks like he may want a bigger role somewhere else. He hadn't practiced since Aug. 1 after he suffered an injury during an intrasquad scrimmage, and he was close to returning to the field.
There should be teams interested in him, and the San Francisco 49ers seem to be one of the teams that could sign him, according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner. Bourne spent his first four seasons in the league with the 49ers.
