In something of a surprising move made on Tuesday, the New England Patriots released backup quarterback Bailey Zappe. The decision came on the day that NFL teams were required to trim their rosters down to the allocated 53 players, and Zappe’s name was one of the biggest on the list of cuts around the league.
Patriots Depth Chart: Mac Jones Is The Only QB Left
𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: #Patriots cut QB Bailey Zappe, per @RapSheet
Some thought he might push Mac Jones to start after a solid rookie season. pic.twitter.com/g7AIe02v2x
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 29, 2023
It isn’t as though the Patriots current starter is an all-world quarterback. Mac Jones has seen plenty of ups and downs through his first two years in the NFL, including a playoff appearance in Year 1 and a benching in Year 2. It was actually Zappe who took over for Jones when he fell out of favor for a game in the middle of the 2022 season.
He played well, too. The then-rookie started two games last year, and threw for 781 yards and 5 touchdowns against 3 interceptions. His completion percentage was nearly 71.
That apparently wasn’t enough for the Patriots to keep him around for this season. The decision to keep Jones as the lone quarterback on the roster is an interesting one. While he was thought to be the better of the bunch on the roster, his job was far from safe, and there was the possibility of Zappe eventually being the starter, perhaps even within the first few games.
Who Might New England Add To The Mix?
The #Patriots have waived backup QB Bailey Zappe, source said. A surprise.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 29, 2023
Does Bill Belichick have a trick up his sleeve? Or is he somehow tanking for Caleb Williams?
There are a handful of notable names that the Patriots could bring in to be Jones’ backup, and potentially their starter. Names like Trevor Siemian, Will Grier, and Chris Streveler all hit the open market within the last 24 hours, and some even more recognizable names still remain from the original free agent pool.
Nick Foles and Carson Wentz are both available to anyone looking for veteran help, and Colt McCoy was recently let go by the Cardinals as well.
The expectations for the Patriots this season aren’t exactly high. They play in what could wind up being the best division in the NFL, and have an over/under win total projection of 7, by far their lowest preseason total in over 20 years.
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