Aug 19, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Matt Corral (9) runs the ball against the New England Patriots in the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images David Butler II-Imagn Images

Former Patriots QB Gets Honest About Bizarre Stint

Originally posted on New England Patriots on SI
By Ethan Hurwitz | Last updated Nov 7, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Matt Corral tenure as a New England Patriots quarterback was as bizarre as one could get. The former Ole Miss star was claimed by the Patriots in 2023 to be the backup to starter Mac Jones. He was then placed on the exempt/left squad list, just one day before the season opener.

So what happened? On a recent episode of the "Built 4 More" podcast, Corral pulled back the curtain on what was a bizarre saga.

"Through all that turmoil, through all that chaos that even was self-inflicted or things that happened to me and I didn’t even know how to maneuver through," Corral said. "That whole situation, man, it was mental implosion."

It was reported that Corral wasn’t able to be found for two days after a week of practices. After the roster move, the Patriots were forced to elevate practice squad quarterback Bailey Zappe in his place.

The Patriots Hoped Corral Would Be Their Backup QB in 2023

Behind the scenes, there was more going on for Corral — who alluded to the fact that he felt like he had imposter syndrome.

"Behind all that was going on outside of football, it was 'Hey dude, you gotta get on the squat rack,' and now my shoulder starts clicking," Corral said. "And it’s like, these guys have been with Tom Brady, like, who am I to say I’m not getting on that squat rack? I’m not Tom Brady."

When Corral left Gillette Stadium for his two-day absence, he didn’t talk to anyone beforehand. It’s something he looked back on and would have done differently. Instead, the Patriots quickly signed Ian Book to the practice squad and gave him Corral’s No. 19 jersey.

“I’m walking out, I see Bill Belichick, Steve Belichick, everybody’s walking in," he recalled. "I’m walking out. They don’t know I’m not going to see them again. I’m walking out. I’m gone. I can’t do this. Again, that was like, it was an adolescent thing to do. I couldn’t speak up for myself, who’s going to help me? I didn’t know where my help was coming from. I didn’t know how to do that."

Later that week, New England officially released both Corral and Book. There were plans to bring Corral back on the practice squad, but he later had a "change of heart" and was officially at the facility for a visit. He hasn’t been in the NFL for a regular season appearance since.

"I knew my job when they brought me there was to learn the two-minute offense," Corral said. "I learned it in the week. Learning wasn’t my problem, learning wasn’t the issue. My work ethic wasn’t the issue, my talent wasn’t the issue. I didn’t get cut. I walked out."

This article first appeared on New England Patriots on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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