Canadian quarterback Tre Ford worked out for the New England Patriots on Tuesday, per sources.
Bill Belichick and the Pats currently have Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe on the active roster, veteran Brian Hoyer on injured reserve and Garrett Gilbert on the practice squad.
Jones has started 13 games this season while completing 65.2 percent of his passes for 2,753 yards with 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft has rushed 43 times for 97 yards and one touchdown. Zappe has started two games and played in four, connecting on 70.7 percent of his passes for 781 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions.
Meanwhile, it’s the second NFL stop for Ford this offseason, he visited Las Vegas for a workout with the Raiders in December. Former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is currently the head coach in Vegas.
The 24-year-old Ford was selected in the first round, eighth overall by the Edmonton Elks in the 2022 CFL Draft out of the University of Waterloo. He became the highest-selected quarterback in the draft since 1980 when Joe Hawco was taken eighth overall by the Montreal Alouettes.
Ford made his first career start in Week 4 when the Elks visited the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Tim Hortons Field. He completed 15-of-26 pass attempts for 159 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a 29-25 victory, Edmonton’s first of the season. He also ran the ball six times for 61 yards.
The native of Niagara Falls, Ont. suffered a shoulder injury early the following week in a start against the Calgary Stampeders. He missed two months of action before returning against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in mid-September in a backup role.
Ford made one final start against the B.C. Lions in mid-October after Edmonton had already been eliminated from postseason contention. He completed 22-of-36 pass attempts for 242 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions while running the ball eight times for 72 yards.
The six-foot, 185-pound passer finished his rookie CFL season completing 58.0 percent of his passes for 461 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions. He also ran the ball 19 times for 149 yards.
Ford caught the attention of NFL scouts during the University at Buffalo pro day in mid-March last year when he ran a 4.45-second forty-yard dash, leapt 36 inches in the vertical jump and recorded a ten-foot, five-inch broad jump. He recorded 17 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, a 6.85-second three-cone drill and a 4.27-second shuttle at the CFL Combine two weeks later.
Ford had his best statistical U Sports season in 2018 when he completed 74 percent of his passes for 3,093 yards with 30 touchdowns and two interceptions while rushing 85 times for 771 yards and four touchdowns. He won the Hec Crighton Trophy in 2021 as the top player in Canadian university football to cap his collegiate career.