Penn State Football: Former Nittany Lion Finds New NFL Home

On Thursday, it was first reported by NFL Insider for ESPN Field Yates that former Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley will sign with the New England Patriots. The former Penn State football player spent his last 2 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.

McSorley has carved out a great NFL career for himself thus far. He was selected in the 6th round pick 197 in the 2019 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens. He was with the Ravens from his draft day until 2021. In the 2021 season, he was signed off the Raven’s practice squad by the Arizona Cardinals and has been there ever since.

Last season, he made his first career start against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where McSorley went 24/45 for 217 yards with 1 interception. Unfortunately, the Cardinals lost 19-16 in overtime.

Now, Trace will enter a new chapter in his career. This time, he will share a quarterback room with Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe. I think he will be a great asset to Coach Bill Belichick, as McSorley is an extremely coachable player and it’s great to see his NFL career continue.

The other wrinkle to consider with his signing with the Patriots is, he reunites with another former Penn State football player, TE Mike Gesicki.

During their time together with the Penn State football team, McSorley and Gesicki connected for 105 receptions, 1,242 yards, and 14 touchdowns between the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

Now, they are back together on the biggest stage. The best part about their reunion is that this is foreign territory for both players. Gesicki has spent his entire NFL career with the Miami Dolphins and now he has a second NFL team.

Although McSorley will most likely not be the starter in New England, it sure is nice to see the two players back together again. Some of my most fond memories of Penn State football, are watching these two connect for a touchdown.