D'Eriq King reveals role the New England Patriots are cutting out for him

Former Houston and Miami quarterback D’Eriq King was not selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, but quickly signed a contract with the New England Patriots to start his professional career. Despite already having second-year quarterback Mac Jones on the roster and draft selection Bailey Zappe on the way, the team has a unique reason for adding a third to the picture.

During his first public comments since signing an undrafted free agent deal with the New England Patriots, D’Eriq King provided his gameplan to stick in the NFL after discussions with the staff.

“I’m excited, it’s good,” King said, via Pro Football Network. “I was a little nervous because of the unknown, but I was blessed enough to sign with a team like the Patriots. I’m thankful for the opportunity. It was an exciting time. I talked to Matt Groh and he was excited. I’m thankful for the opportunity. He told me I’ll do a little bit of everything — receiver, quarterback, running back — whatever I can do to stick.

“Absolutely, definitely motivated to prove my worth. I’m just excited to play football, period. I’m definitely motivated and you have a chip on your shoulder, whether you get drafted or not. I’ve played quarterback my whole life, but I think I can be a pretty good receiver as well.”

After showing off his dual-threat abilities as a quarterback in the American, King became one of the hottest names in the transfer portal before landing at Miami under former head coach Manny Diaz. Despite his injury history, the production and skillset make him a well-rounded athlete who the Patriots hope can develop well enough somewhere on the field and stay on the roster in the future.

More about D’Eriq King

D’Eriq King spent six years playing college football between Houston and Miami. And for both schools, King was the star of each team’s offense by putting up big numbers in the most important games.

For his career, he threw for 8,378 yards, 76 touchdowns, and just 19 interceptions. King also ran for over 2,000 yards with 32 touchdowns on the ground and caught another five touchdowns.

Despite that, the 5-foot-11 quarterback from Manville, Texas went undrafted this year. One of the biggest reasons for this is King’s inability to be available for long stretches. In his final season with both the Hurricanes and the Cougars, King missed most of the season after being knocked out with injuries.