The New England Patriots made a move at the quarterback position on Friday. But unfortunately, the pressing question of who will start for the team in their Sunday matchup against the New York Giants remains unanswered. Incumbent Mac Jones and backup Bailey Zappe are the two remaining candidates after the Patriots released third-string quarterback Will Grier late Friday morning, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Grier was selected in the third round (100th overall) by the Carolina Panthers in the 2018 NFL Draft, appearing in just two games for the franchise before being released in August 2021. He had spent time on the practice squads of both the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals prior to signing with New England on September 22nd. Grier never saw game action for the Patriots. He joins a rotating cast of third-string quarterbacks who have been signed by New England this season, including Matt Corral and Ian Book.

Earlier this week, Patriots quarterback Mac Jones stated that he assumed he'd be starting the team's Week 12 matchup with the Giants. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has spent the week refusing to commit to who will start for the team this Sunday.

The 2-8 Patriots, all but officially eliminated from playoff contention, are mired in one of the worst offensive seasons in franchise history. They've scored an NFL-worst 141 total points — a 14.1-point per-game average that bests only their Sunday opponent, the New York Giants, who average a meager 13.5. Jones has been benched in favor of Zappe in three of the team's ten games.