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The Patriots appear content with Julian Edelman as their No. 2 QB

frank schwab
NFL writer

The New England Patriots are unconventional. Any other team, down to one healthy quarterback on the roster, would sign a veteran stop-gap guy.

Not Bill Belichick. He’s apparently fine with receiver Julian Edelman being the team’s backup quarterback this week against the Houston Texans. Rookie Jacoby Brissett is expected to start after Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a shoulder injury on Sunday, but the Patriots haven’t ruled out Garoppolo yet either.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Patriots have no plans to sign another quarterback this week, before their Thursday night game against the Houston Texans. That’s something you’d want to do right away, with a Thursday night game, so it doesn’t seem there would be a change of heart on Tuesday or Wednesday. Assuming Garoppolo can’t play, Edelman will be the backup.

And while wishing no ill on Jacoby Brissett, who was the team’s No. 3 quarterback during the preseason when Brady wasn’t suspended and Garoppolo was healthy, but wouldn’t it be fun to see Edelman play some quarterback?

Edelman, one of the league’s best receivers, was an option quarterback in college. At Kent State, he had 4,997 yards, 30 touchdowns and 31 interceptions in three seasons. That’s not causing a quarterback controversy between Edelman and Brissett this week, but at least Edelman has taken snaps at quarterback and thrown passes for a FBS team.

Julian Edelman throwing his only NFL pass, which was a touchdown (Getty Images)
Julian Edelman throwing his only NFL pass, which was a touchdown. (Getty Images)

Edelman might not want to risk his perfect passing record. Edelman threw a 51-yard touchdown on a trick play in the playoffs two seasons ago against the Baltimore Ravens. That’s his only NFL pass. He has a perfect 158.3 passer rating (and probably lets his buddy Brady know about it every day).

Not signing a quarterback probably makes some sense for the Patriots. They don’t want to cut someone on the roster to pick up someone who is unsigned (just throwing this out there: Peyton Manning is free. So is Tim Tebow. And Johnny Manziel. Come on Bill, let’s get crazy!), and the short preparation week would make it nearly impossible for any quarterback who hasn’t been in the Patriots offense before. He wouldn’t be able to call plays or run the offense, so what’s the point?

So even though everyone hopes Brissett gets through the game with no injuries, the Patriots will be one snap away from lining up Edelman at quarterback. That could be fun.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!