If former New England Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe is going to get another NFL starting opportunity, it doesn’t appear it will be with the New York Jets.
NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday the Jets released Zappe from their practice squad to create a spot for free agent signal-caller Will Levis. Fellow NFL insider Jordan Schultz also reported the Levis signing in New York.
“Levis started 21 games for Tennessee before missing last season with a shoulder injury,” wrote Pelissero on X. “He takes the place of Bailey Zappe, who’s being released.”
Zappe started eight games for the Patriots from 2022-23, going 4-4 as a starter. After those two seasons, New England selected quarterback Drake Maye at No. 3 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Zappe competed with Maye during the following training camp, but the writing was on the wall. The Patriots waived Zappe at the 2024 roster deadline. Since then, he’s spent time with the Jets, Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns. Zappe started one game for Cleveland in 2024.
He signed with the Jets practice squad on September 1 after not making the team’s 53-man roster at the end of August.
Jets Release Former Patriots QB Bailey Zappe: Report
Zappe took the Patriots by storm in 2022 when he replaced an injured Mac Jones and Brian Hoyer as a fourth-round rookie. Zappe completed 10 of 15 passes for 99 yards and a touchdown during his NFL debut against the Green Bay Packers.
Then in his first two starts, Zappe completed 74.5% of his passes and averaged nine yards per throw with three touchdowns and one interception. The Patriots won both games.
Although Jones returned healthy the following week, Zappe’s performance turned him into an instant fan favorite in New England.
Zappe played again when Jones returned to not play well the following week, but Zappe also struggled during that relief appearance. He then didn’t play the rest of his rookie season while serving mostly as the team’s backup.
In 2023, Zappe was Jones’s primary backup throughout the year. He started six games, going 2-4 in those contests. Overall, he had six touchdowns and nine interceptions while posting six yards per pass.
Zappe didn’t retain his roster spot in New England under first-year head coach Jerod Mayo entering 2024.
Since then, he’s bounced around the league, mostly filling practice squad spots. In 2024, he received the chance to start for the Browns. He completed 16 of 31 passes for 170 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. The Browns lost 35-10 to the Baltimore Ravens.
Zappe played college football at Houston Christian and Western Kentucky. In his lone season with Western Kentucky, he led the FBS with 5,967 passing yards and 62 touchdowns. Zappe completed 69.1% of his passes while averaging 426.2 passing yards per game over 14 contests.
The Patriots selected him at No. 137 overall during the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
AFC East Rival Releases Ex-Patriots Fan Favorite QB: Report