New England Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe is gearing up to compete with Mac Jones for the starting job next season. Zappe has said that he is prepared to take advantage of any opportunity that comes his way during summer workouts, as he aims to help the team win.
“If my opportunity presents itself, I’m going to take full advantage of it,” Zappe said Wednesday, as reported by NBC’s Joe Kayata. “I’m going to do everything I can to help the team win. That’s really all I can say from that standpoint. That’s Coach Belichick’s decision, whatever he decides. But if the opportunity presents itself, I will be ready and take advantage of it.”
Starting his rookie season in 2022, Zappe took on the QB1 duties when Jones was recovering from a high-ankle sprain. In two starts and four appearances, Zappe completed 70.7 percent of his passes, throwing for 781 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. Both Jones and Zappe are currently the only quarterbacks on the Patriots roster, but this could change during the 2023 NFL Draft, which begins on April 27.
While Jones returned to the top of the depth chart, former Patriots safety Devin McCourty and sports talk show host Dan Patrick revealed that some players wanted Zappe to remain the team’s starter. This has created an intriguing offseason regarding New England’s quarterback situation.
Head coach Bill Belichick has refused to publicly commit to anyone as his starter. Belichick also said that everyone on the roster would get a chance to prove themselves.
“Everybody will get a chance to play,” Belichick said at the NFL owners’ meetings in late March. “Every position. Everybody will get a chance to play. Everybody who’s on our roster, if they earn the opportunity to play based on what they do in practice and all that, then they’ll get an opportunity to play.”
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated also reported that New England’s coaches only saw a small gap between Jones and Zappe in the 2022 season.
“By the end of last year, the coaches didn’t think there was a massive chasm between the two,” Breer wrote. “Jones has the physical edge, but not by a mile. Jones is also incredibly football smart, but Zappe’s sharp, too, and last year’s staff felt like Zappe closed any gap there by following the coach when Jones didn’t.”
Although Belichick is not among those interested in acquiring Lamar Jackson from the Baltimore Ravens, it seems he is planning to give Zappe a significant amount of first-team reps during the team’s training camp.
Talks surrounding Jones’ trade rumor
Jones’ future with the Patriots is in question as reports emerged that Belichick had shopped the young quarterback to several teams this offseason.
According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, potential trade destinations for the 24-year-old include the Las Vegas Raiders, Houston Texans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Commanders.
Belichick’s alleged tension with Jones may have been caused by the quarterback seeking outside help during the 2022 season, which reportedly upset the 70-year-old. Jones’ teammates do not receive this news well. They are reportedly unhappy that his potential trade is now public knowledge.
Despite the rumors, it remains unclear whether Belichick plans to trade the former Crimson Tide or if he is just putting pressure on the young quarterback to perform better in the upcoming season.
Under the guidance of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in 2021, Jones emerged as the top rookie quarterback in the NFL. Despite a disappointing performance in 2022, fans are optimistic that he will regain his form under the new OC, Bill O’Brien.