Getty Patriots QB Bailey Zappe (center)
It might be easy to forget, with a veteran NFL free-agent signing, a No. 3 overall pick and an intriguing cannon-armed sixth-round pick on board, that the Patriots have an incumbent quarterback on the roster, one remnant in the room from the Bill Belichick era. That would be Bailey Zappe.
But if we are assuming the that Patriots are keeping Jacoby Brissett and first-round pick Drake Maye—of course they will—and the likelihood that rookie Joe Milton sticks, too, then we’d almost have to assume that Zappe is soon to be an ex-Patriot.
Remember, SI.com’s Albert Breer characterized the Zappe-Mac Jones quarterback room as decidedly unfriendly, writing, “the quarterback room he was in the last two years got toxic, to the point where Bailey Zappe, as a rookie, sometimes watched tape in the receiver room.”
The Patriots won’t keep four quarterbacks, and Zappe probably does not want to slog with the practice team again. As the folks at Bleacher Report see it, that means that Zappe is on the chopping block. In an article titled, “The Best Player Who Could Still Be Cut from Every NFL Roster In 2024 Offseason,” analyst David Kenyon pegs Zappe as the man to be cut.
Patriots Making a Clean Break at QB?
That’s rough going for the team’s 2022 fourth-round pick. Zappe made an impression as a rookie when he filled in while starter Jones was injured, taking a team that was off to a disappointing 1-3 start and winning back -to-back games. There was some controversy, in fact, when Jones returned and Zappe was moved back to the bench.
Last season, as it was for all of the Patriots offense, was a disaster for Zappe, as coaches were unhappy with his conditioning and approach. He was demoted during training camp and sent to the practice squad to start the season, but was forced into the lineup as Jones struggled. Zappe went 2-4 as the Patriots starter to close the season, leading tough wins on the road against the Steelers and Broncos.
Alas, it’s looking like an unceremonious ending. Wrote Kenyon:
“Bailey Zappe started two games for New England as a rookie in 2022 and six more in 2023. Now that the Patriots have pivoted to third overall pick Drake Maye with capable veteran Jacoby Brissett as his backup, Zappe is unlikely to stick on the roster.”
Bailey Zappe Still Fighting for Job
It is notable, though, that Brissett—the presumed Week 1 starter for the Patriots while Maye gets NFL-ready—does not see Zappe as a surefire cut candidate. Certainly, it behooves a veteran leader like Brissett to fire up his teammates and keep them in line when needed, but Brissett did have a spirited defense of Zappe’s ability as a starter.
In fact, Brissett said Zappe is out to win the starting job.
Jacoby Brissett says he and Bailey Zappe have been competing every day and that him, Zappe, Drake Maye, and Joe Milton all believe they can win the starting job.
“That’s the thing, everybody in the (quarterback) room is talking. Me, Drake, and Joe and you got a guy that has…
Speaking to reporters last week, Brissett said, “Everybody in the (quarterback) room is talking. Me, Drake, and Joe and you got a guy that has started in the NFL and won games. (Zappe) is not a slouch. The good thing about our room is, honestly everybody wants to be the guy and everybody’s competing to be the guy. And that’s what you want …
“If none of us wanted to play, then our room would be messed up. Like, we would be in bad hands in this organization and I think everybody understands that and everybody wants to play. I know I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t wanna play and didn’t think I could do the job myself. So, I think (Zappe) thinks that of himself too, and he should,” Brissett said.