The New England Patriots’ preseason finale could not have gone any worse as Mike Vrabel’s roster was dominated by the New York Giants in a 42-10 loss at MetLife Stadium.
Now that the preseason has officially wrapped up in New England, it is time for the coaching staff and front office to figure out what players will make up the team’s 53-man roster entering Week 1. While there are still plenty of tough decisions that need to be made, the first wave of cuts has begun, and one member of the quarterback room has been asked to turn in his playbook.
HC Mike Vrabel announces the first wave of transactions for the #Patriots to get down to 53 players:
LB RJ Moten, DT Kyle Peko, RB Shane Watts, DB Jordan Polk, TE Jaheim Bell, QB Ben Wooldridge, CB Isaiah Bolden, G Tyrese Robinson, TE Cole Fotheringham, RB Micah Bernard, WR…
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) August 22, 2025
Patriots QB Ben Wooldridge Waived Immediately After Preseason Finale
According to Evan Lazar of Patriots.com, Mike Vrabel announced that rookie quarterback Ben Wooldridge was one of nine players to be released on Friday.
The undrafted rookie out of the University of Louisiana was the only quarterback to see the field for the Patriots on Thursday night, and, to put it kindly, he wasn’t great. Wooldridge only completed 10 of his 20 attempts for an uninspiring 82 yards, to go along with one touchdown pass and one interception that was brought back for a score.
The undrafted rookie was always going to have a tough time trying to outduel veteran Joshua Dobbs for the right to be Drake Maye’s primary backup. To have as poor a performance as this in a setting that should have been an opportunity to showcase Wooldridge’s skills was all New England’s brain trust needed to see, though.
In the end, Wooldridge finished his run with the Patriots, completing just 57% of his pass attempts for 269 yards, two touchdowns, and that one Pick-6. Now, he will look to either latch back on in New England as a member of the practice squad or hope that one of the league’s other 31 teams was impressed enough by what he put on tape to give him an opportunity.
