The Chiefs signed Zappe to their practice squad Wednesday, Jordan Schultz of BleacherReport.com reports. The Western Kentucky product failed to make New England's initial 53-man roster, but he's now found a new home in Kansas City. Zappe has played sporadically throughout his two years in the NFL, throwing for 2,053 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 14 regular-season contests. He could very well serve as the Chiefs' No. 3 quarterback option behind Patrick Mahomes and Carson Wentz in 2024.
Unlock the latest Kansas City Chiefs news — direct to your inbox.
Status
ACTIVELatest Bailey Zappe news
Team
Kansas City Chiefs
Birthdate
4/26/1999 (25)
Status
Practice Squad
HT/WT
6'1", 220 lbs
Draft Info
2022: Rd 4; Pk (NE)
Birthplace
Victoria, TX, USA
Position
QB
College
Western Kentucky
Experience
3 seasons
Career History
Kansas City Chiefs
2024-Present
(1 season)
New England Patriots
2022-2024
(3 seasons)
The Chiefs signed Zappe to their practice squad Wednesday, Jordan Schultz of BleacherReport.com reports. The Western Kentucky product failed to make New England's initial 53-man roster, but he's now found a new home in Kansas City. Zappe has played sporadically throughout his two years in the NFL, throwing for 2,053 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 14 regular-season contests. He could very well serve as the Chiefs' No. 3 quarterback option behind Patrick Mahomes and Carson Wentz in 2024.
The Patriots are slated to waive Zappe, Mike Reiss of ESPN reports. With Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye in contention for the team's starting job and rookie sixth-rounder Joe Milton also in the mix, Zappe was the odd man out in New England's QB room. The 2022 fourth-rounder will now have a chance to catch on elsewhere with a franchise looking to add a backup with some starting experience.
Zappe completed 12 of his 20 pass attempts for 108 yards and ran once for six yards in Thursday's 17-3 preseason win over the Panthers. Per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, Zappe logged a team-high 36 snaps among the Patriots' QBs in the team's exhibition opener, while top options Jacoby Brissett (four snaps) and Drake Maye (six snaps) both saw limited action in the contest. At this stage, Zappe is competing with rookie sixth-rounder Joe Milton for depth slotting, with Chad Graff of The Athletic suggesting that in the current context Zappe seems unlikely to make New England's 53-man roster.
With veteran newcomer Jacoby Brissett and 2024 first-rounder Drake Maye viewed as roster locks, Zappe figures to compete with rookie sixth-rounder Joe Milton and Nathan Rourke for slotting on the Patriots' depth chart, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports. Alternatively, Callahan suggests that with five QBs in the mix the Patriots could look to move Zappe, who drew six regular-season starts for the team in 2023. For now, however, Zappe remains with the organization that selected him 137th overall in the 2022 draft. In any case, even if the 25-year-old ends up sticking around as a depth option, he won't have a path to a potential starting role, as long as Brissett and Maye are healthy. With that in mind, Callahan suggests that Zappe could find himself on the radar of other teams seeking signal-caller options once injuries hit.
Zappe appears set to operate as the No. 2 quarterback behind Jacoby Brissett, who is slated to sign a one-year, $8 million contract with the Patriots, John Keim of ESPN reports. Zappe started New England's final six games of the 2023 season after beating out Mac Jones, who the Patriots recently traded to Jacksonville for a 2024 sixth-round draft pick, posting a 6:7 TD:INT in that span. Given that New England holds the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, in what's considered a high-end quarterback class, Zappe could end up further down the depth chart with the potential selection of rookie competition.
Reiss adds that neither Mac Jones nor the Patriots' other practice-squad quarterback (Will Grier) threw during the early portion of the session. While head coach Bill Belichick has declined to name a starting quarterback for this Sunday's game against the Chargers, the way Wednesday's practice transpired hints at Zappe potentially getting the nod this weekend. During the Patriots' 10-7 loss to the Giants in Week 12, Zappe replaced Jones after halftime and completed nine of 14 passes for 54 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.
After Mac Jones threw two interceptions in the first half, Zappe was called upon to lead New England's offense for the final two quarters. Zappe took better care of the ball but was otherwise uninspiring, as he averaged only 3.9 yards per attempt and his longest completion went for 15 yards -- nearly all of which came after the catch. It's unclear who will be under center for New England in Week 13 against the Chargers, as both Zappe and Jones have had problems effectively moving the offense.
The second-year QB made a couple good throws to begin the possession, but with the Patriots out of timeouts, Zappe's attempt to pull a Dan Marino and fake a spike to stop the clock ended in disaster when his downfield toss to Demario Douglas was picked off. It was also an ugly INT that got Jones benched in the first place, so neither QB distinguished himself if the starting job is indeed up for grabs. New England's coaching staff will have a bye next week to sort out the mess under center before facing the Giants in Week 12.