Patriots Reportedly Host Rookie Quarterback In Group Workout

The New England Patriots will open training camp Wednesday, but not before checking in on an intriguing quarterback prospect.

The Patriots hosted Matthew McKay for a workout Monday, per Mike Reiss of ESPN. New England also hosted veteran defensive tackles Aaron Crawford, Khalil Davis and Bruce Hector, former third-round wide receiver Jalen Hurd, wideout Darion Chafin and former Navy linebacker Diego Fagot, per Reiss.

McKay is an undrafted free agent out of Elon who had an interesting path to the NFL. He spent his first three collegiate seasons at North Carolina State before transferring to Montana State in 2021 and capping things off at Elon in 2022.

The 23-year-old completed 61% of his passes at Elon, leading the Phoenix to an 8-4 record. He threw for 2,709 yards, 21 touchdowns and just four interceptions, posting a quarterback rating of 150.4. He also added 458 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. In total, McKay passed for 5,708 yards, 41 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, and rushed for 873 yards and 10 touchdowns while in school.

Though he went undrafted, McKay was invited to Dallas Cowboys rookie minicamp in May. He did not sign after its conclusion.

The Patriots seem pretty set at QB entering training camp, with Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe, and Trace McSorley all set to play a role during the summer. Jones will look to return to his rookie form under Bill O'Brien, while Zappe will look to continue making improvements in his sophomore campaign. McSorley will also play an important part as New England's only dual-threat option, helping prepare the defense in ways Jones and Zappe can't.

That's all well and good, but adding another arm can never hurt.

New England currently has 89 players on its roster, with Raekwon McMillan on injured reserve. McKay could help the Patriots round things out heading into August.