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The New England Patriots currently have one of the more intriguing quarterback rooms in the NFL heading into the preseason.
While head coach Jerod Mayo has named journeyman Jacoby Brissett the team’s starter, No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye is waiting in the wings. There’s also Bailey Zappe.
A fourth-round pick for the Patriots in 2022, the 25-year-old Zappe flashed as a rookie, but seemed to regress in Year 2. Could a fresh start be on the horizon? David Kenyon of Bleacher Report put together a list of five quarterbacks NFL teams “must pursue,” and Zappe was on it.
“Following two years of chaos with the New England Patriots, Bailey Zappe needs a change of scenery,” Kenyon wrote on August 4, before naming a logical trade partner.
“The Pats didn’t take Maye to sit him forever. Brissett may open the campaign as the starter, but Maye—whether this season or next—will be the next man up. That leaves Zappe in a third-string position with little opportunity to rise the depth chart. Zappe’s ideal spot would be a place he can compete to supplant a veteran QB2; the Carolina Panthers with Andy Dalton come to mind.”
Is Trading QB Bailey Zappe Likely Outcome for the New England Patriots?
After trading former first-round QB Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars in March, the Pats added Maye to be the future of the franchise while also bringing Brissett back (he played for the team for a lone season in 2016) to be the starter while Maye develops.
Rookie QB Joe Milton III has also surpassed Zappe on the team’s depth chart. That does leave Zappe, who has eight starts under his belt over his two seasons, as the odd man out — and a potential trade candidate.
Zappe went 2-0 in his two starts as a rookie in 2022. He completed 70.7% of his passes that year for 781 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. In 10 games (six starts) last season, he completed 59.9% of his passes for 1,272 yards, six touchdowns and nine interceptions.
The Panthers would be an interesting destination for Zappe. Bryce Young is set to lead the team in Year 2 as the starting QB, but Young is by no means proven. Dalton turns 37 in October and is likely in the final years of his career.
If he went to Carolina, Zappe wouldn’t be heading to a storied franchise by any means. The Panthers haven’t had a winning season since 2017, finishing in the bottom of the division three of the last six years. Still, he may have the best opportunity to compete for a QB2 spot there.
Jacoby Brissett Ready to Be QB1 for Patriots, Mentor to Drake Maye
Whether Zappe stays or goes, he’ll have a solid veteran mentor in Brissett. “I’m probably the perfect person to mentor the guys in my room, but I’m also the perfect person for this job to start,” Brissett said, via NFL.com’s Kevin Patra.
“I don’t take that lightly. I came here to play first. Every time I step out on that field and my teammates see me, I want them to know that everything that comes with me comes with me, but I’m here to start. I’m here to play and win games, and that’s my plan.”
Brissett also had good things to say about Maye, who has been showing signs of improvement as training camp has progressed.
“He’s gotten better each and every day, and that’s all you can ask for, all of us,” Brissett said about Drake, adding:
“I’m out there trying to get better each and every day. I want my teammates to see me going out there and see our room getting better each and every day because, at some point, we’re all gonna need each other.”
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