Bill Belichick has made his choice at quarterback, entering his second season at North Carolina, after naming Wisconsin transfer Billy Edwards Jr. the starter in offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino's new-look offense this week.
Edwards beat out Texas A&M transfer Miles O'Neill over two fall scrimmages, a pivotal decision for a program seeking immediate improvement after a rocky debut season under Belichick. Pairing a veteran passer with one of college football's most accomplished play-callers is a unique development for Belichick, who's seen the highest of highs and the bottom of the barrel at the position during his career.
From Tom Brady and Drew Bledsoe to Vinny Testaverde and several notable backups, Edwards now joins a fascinating list of 18 different starters under Belichick spanning the NFL and collegiate level. Slotting all of his signal callers in tiers, here's a glance at who Belichick has worked with as a head coach with varying levels of success.
Standard for greatness
Tom Brady
Time under Belichick: 2001-2019 (New England Patriots)
Career passer rating: 97.2
Not only is Brady the best quarterback Belichick has ever coached, but he is also the player who transformed the legendary coach's career and established New England as the NFL's defining dynasty. Together, they won six Super Bowls, reached nine and produced two decades of unprecedented dominance. Brady's unmatched preparation, late-game command and relentless competitive edge made him the perfect extension of Belichick on the field.
Brady mastered every detail, protected the football and punished whatever weakness an opponent revealed. He was at his best when the stakes were highest, delivering signature postseason drives and turning tight games into championships. Belichick coached other talented passers, but none matched Brady's longevity, leadership, ability to elevate the entire operation or hardware. Their eventual split sparked endless debate, yet the résumé leaves no room for argument: Brady remains the standard against which every quarterback in Belichick's orbit will always be measured.
Franchise beloved
Drew Bledsoe
Time under Belichick: 2000-2001 (Patriots)
Career passer rating: 77.1
Bledsoe's No. 2 because no quarterback outside of Brady gave Belichick a better combination of proven production, arm talent and organizational importance. Already a three-time Pro Bowler when Belichick arrived in New England, Bledsoe started all 16 games in 2000 and threw for 3,291 yards despite an undermanned roster that finished 5-11.
Bledsoe opened 2001 as the unquestioned franchise quarterback before injury created Brady's opportunity, then returned to help rescue the AFC Championship Game against the Steelers. Bledsoe's tenure with Belichick was brief, and history understandably belongs to Brady, but his résumé and role in bridging New England from uncertainty to a championship era make him the clear runner-up. A member of the Patriots' Hall of Fame, Bledsoe finished his NFL career with 44,611 yards passing and 251 touchdowns.
Vinny Testaverde
Time under Belichick: 1993-1995 (Cleveland Browns)
Career passer rating: 75.0
Given his production and longevity during Cleveland's most successful stretch under Belichick, Testaverde deserves to be in this class. After arriving in 1993, Testaverde eventually replaced Bernie Kosar and helped guide the Browns to an 11-5 finish and playoff victory the following season. His big arm fit an offense built to attack vertically, while his toughness steadied a franchise navigating turbulence. Testaverde threw 47 touchdown passes across three seasons with Belichick and delivered the coach's only postseason win in Cleveland, making this ranking defensible.
Bernie Kosar
Time under Belichick: 1991-1993 (Browns)
Career passer rating: 81.8
Belichick's first starting quarterback as head coach of the Browns in 1991, Kosar finished 6-10 with Cleveland, but his numbers were solid: 3,487 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He was sacked 41 times and didn't get much help from the rushing attack. Kosar broke his ankle the following campaign and missed 9 games, prompting Belichick and the franchise to add Testaverde before the 1993 season. Kosar was benched six games into the 1993 campaign in favor of Testaverde.
Flexed flashes
Matt Cassel
Time under Belichick: 2005-2008 (Patriots)
Career passer rating: 78.5
Cassel's career with the Patriots is remembered for one of the NFL's most impressive emergency quarterback performances. After Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury in the 2008 opener, Cassel stepped into an impossible situation and kept New England in contention. He threw for 3,693 yards and 21 touchdowns, guiding the Patriots to an 11-5 finish that put the franchise just shy of the playoffs. Belichick adjusted the offense around Cassel's strengths, and the former seventh-round pick responded with several breakout performances. That season transformed Cassel from an unknown backup into a valued NFL starter and remains his defining achievement.
Jimmy Garoppolo
Time under Belichick: 2014-2017 (Patriots)
Career passer rating: 97.6
Brief but significant, Garoppolo's time under Belichick was memorable because he became the first legitimate heir apparent to Brady. New England selected him in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, and Garoppolo flashed starter-level ability whenever opportunities arrived. During Brady's 2016 suspension, Garoppolo won both starts, completed 68.3% of his passes and threw four touchdowns without an interception before suffering a shoulder injury. His command of the offense impressed Belichick, but Brady's longevity eliminated the path to playing time. The Patriots eventually traded Garoppolo to San Francisco, where he quickly became a franchise quarterback.
Mac Jones
Time under Belichick: 2021-2023 (Patriots)
Career passer rating: 86.9
Jones took the field with considerable promise before quickly unraveling. Selected No. 15 overall in 2021, the former Alabama star and Heisman finalist earned the starting job immediately, leading New England to a 10-7 record and playoff berth before finishing second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. His accuracy and poise appeared to give the Patriots a long-term answer following Brady. Stability never followed, however. Coordinator changes, protection issues and a deteriorating supporting cast contributed to Jones' regression over the next two seasons. He eventually lost the job and was traded.
Some bark, little bite
Cam Newton
Time under Belichick: 2020 (Patriots)
Career passer rating: 85.2
Cam Newton arrived in New England with one of the most decorated résumés of any quarterback Bill Belichick has coached. The former No. 1 overall pick, NFL MVP and Offensive Rookie of the Year beat out Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham to become the Patriots' first primary starter not named Tom Brady since 2001. Newton's leadership and physicality stood out during a challenging transition season, as he rushed for 592 yards and 12 touchdowns while guiding New England to seven wins. His passing production never reached its previous heights, but Newton brought toughness and professionalism to a roster undergoing considerable change. He re-signed the following offseason before rookie Mac Jones ultimately won the job, and Newton was released.
Jacoby Brissett
Time under Belichick: 2016 (Patriots)
Career passer rating: 86.4
A third-round pick in 2016 and the Patriots' third-team option coming out of training camp, Brissett was unexpectedly forced into action during Brady's suspension after Garoppolo injured his shoulder. He went 1-1 as a starter, highlighted by a shutout win over Houston and protected the football despite playing through a thumb injury. New England traded him to Indianapolis the following season. He returned to the Patriots in 2024 and started five games (1-4) during Belichick's year away from football.
Brian Hoyer
Time under Belichick: 2009-2011, 2017-2018, 2020-2022 (Patriots)
Career passer rating: 82.0
Initially signed as an undrafted rookie, Hoyer was beloved enough by the franchise to play three stints during Belichick's multi-decade career in New England. He only made two starts over 8.5 total years and lost both games. Hoyer has a Super Bowl ring, which came at the end of the 2018 season as Brady's primary backup. Hoyer's stints in New England were defined more by trust than statistics.
Bailey Zappe
Time under Belichick: 2022-2023 (Patriots)
Career passer rating: 76.0
Zappe's time under Belichick featured a few unexpected sparks during an otherwise turbulent stretch for New England's offense. A fourth-round pick in 2022, Zappe won both starts as a rookie and energized the Patriots with his confidence and quick decision-making. His success created a quarterback debate with Jones, but consistency never followed. Zappe made six more starts in 2023, going 2-4 while throwing six touchdowns and nine interceptions during Belichick's final season with the franchise.
Mark Rypien
Time under Belichick: 1994 (Browns)
Career passer rating: 78.9
Two years after earning Super Bowl MVP honors with the Redskins, Rypien joined the Browns as Testaverde's backup for one season. Rypien started three games and delivered a 2-1 record for playoff-bound Cleveland. The production was modest -- 436 passing yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions -- but his experience gave the team a veteran option. Rypien never became a long-term answer, but capably handled his assignment.
Underwhelming depth-chart fillers
Jarrett Stidham
Time under Belichick: 2019-2021 (Patriots)
Career passer rating: 78.3
Many believed this former fourth-round pick was penciled in as the starting quarterback following Brady's departure in March of 2020, but Newton was signed a few months later in free agency. Stidham battled through back surgery ahead of his final season in New England and was unable to work his way up the depth chart behind Jones and Brian Hoyer.
Eric Zeier
Time under Belichick: 1995 (Browns)
Career passer rating: 74.4
Zeier made four starts (1-3) as a rookie third-round pick and over seven games, finished with nine interceptions and four touchdown passes with a completion rate of just 50.9%. Zeier went on to play five more years in the NFL for the Ravens and Buccaneers, making eight total starts across that stretch.
Mike Tomczak
Time under Belichick: 1992 (Browns)
Career passer rating: 68.9
Tomczak was a spot starter for the Browns in 1992 after Kosar's injury and finished 4-4 over eight starts with 1,693 yards passing, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. His steady performance did not produce a playoff push, but gave Belichick a capable emergency option after becoming an exercise in reliability.
Todd Philcox
Time under Belichick: 1991-1993 (Browns)
Career passer rating: 57.4
Philcox was never expected to become Cleveland's answer at quarterback, but necessity thrust him into five starts during Belichick's first three seasons. His high point came in 1992, when he tossed three touchdown passes during a 28-16 win over the Raiders. Opportunity knocked again following Kosar's stunning release in 1993, but Philcox struggled to capitalize. He finished his Browns tenure with 965 yards passing, seven touchdowns, nine interceptions and a 2-3 record before returning to Cincinnati the following season.
The college guys
Billy Edwards Jr.
Time under Belichick: 2026 (North Carolina)
Edwards enters a fascinating opportunity with the Tar Heels after beating out several other transfers for the QB1 label as the centerpiece of Bobby Petrino's new-look offense. Edwards brings starting experience, toughness and enough mobility to keep defenses honest, but expectations will center on consistency and command.
Petrino's aggressive system should create chances downfield while Belichick demands smart decisions and situational precision. If Edwards protects the football and quickly masters the scheme, North Carolina could have the steady veteran presence needed to accelerate Belichick's rebuild in Chapel Hill. If not, Edwards' fourth career Power Four stop will prove unsuccessful.
Gio Lopez
Time under Belichick: 2025 (North Carolina)
Lopez's lone season with the Tar Heels never delivered the breakout the program envisioned after his arrival from South Alabama. He started 11 games in 2025, completing 65.1% of his passes for 1,747 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions while adding three rushing scores. Lopez showed flashes, but injuries and an inconsistent offensive front prevented sustained momentum. With UNC reshaping its quarterback room, he entered the portal and transferred across the ACC to Wake Forest, seeking a fresh start with continuity and an offense better suited for his dual-threat skill set.
