The New England Patriots captured a victory in their preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday, and one player in particular stood out above the rest.
Jeremiah Pharms Jr.
Yes, you read that correctly. It wasn't Drake Maye. It wasn't Joe Milton III. It wasn't Jack Plummer, who might soon take on the role of his surname after what he showed under center for the Panthers.
Pharms, who took as wild a path to the league as anyone, was the best player on the field.
"Anytime he steps foot on the field, he takes advantage of that opportunity," Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said following the game, per team-provided transcript. "His story is remarkable, a guy just on the street. He was here, we moved him to fullback. He played defensive tackle, he played guard, he played all those positions. When you find a player that just loves the game of football, no matter what the coach asks him to do, it’s a great player, in my mind. And Pharms displays that."
Pharms bounced around three schools as he tried to find his way to professional football, spending time at Sacramento City College, San Joaquin Delta College and Friends University. The NFL isn't looking at Friends University during draft season, though, so his first opportunity came playing indoor football with the Wichita Force. The Pittsburgh Maulers of the USFL came calling after that, before New England got in the mix in 2022.
The Patriots gave Pharms an extended look in 2023, but given the status of Christian Barmore it wouldn't be surprising to see the 27-year-old take on a legitimate rotational role in 2024.
He finished with one sack, one tackle for loss, one quarterback hit and four total tackles in the exhibition tilt, earning reps with the top defense before settling in for a few series with the backups. How impressive were those numbers? He did it all in just 22 total reps.
"Hard work pays off. Hard work works, that's one of our slogans here," Pharms said after the game. "We'll just continue to do that,, and continue to work hard. I'm not going to get satisfied with today."
