The least shocking move the Patriots made this past offseason was deciding to clear out the quarterback room by trading Mac Jones and releasing Bailey Zappe. Neither were the future of the franchise and not considered strong backup candidates either, so it was best to move forward with the rookies and Jacoby Brissett.
That left Jones to be the backup for Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville and Zappe to look for a role with another team. There had been rumors of a potential trade instead, but reports indicated no teams had contacted New England about acquiring Zappe.
Instead, the third-year quarterback signed with the Chiefs practice squad, which felt like a great fit for a young player hoping to learn from some of the best in the league. That's where he has spent the past seven weeks of the season, but he's now onto a new opportunity in the AFC North.
NFL insider Tom Pelissero revealed Zappe is now signing with the Cleveland Browns, as they were recently dealt a massive blow to their quarterback room with Deshaun Watson suffering a season-ending Achilles injury in last week's game.
This looks like a big opportunity for Zappe to take over the starting role for the Browns, assuming he impresses as the backup since Jameis Winston will likely take over immediately in Watson's absence. But as we saw during his time with the Patriots, he did enough to outshine Jones and replace him late during the 2023 season, so it's possible he could do the same in Cleveland.
A new QB in Cleveland: The #Browns are signing Bailey Zappe off the #Chiefs practice squad, per sources.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 22, 2024
With Deshaun Watson’s season over and Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s status in flux, Jameis Winston could start Sunday vs. Baltimore and Zappe would back him up. pic.twitter.com/drBj6rtKEZ
It will be interesting to see what comes of this opportunity for the Patriots former draft pick, especially since he has a much higher chance of actually getting back on the field during a regular season game than he ever did during his time with the Chiefs. While watching Patrick Mahomes up close is certainly valuable to any young quarterback, it limits the chances of getting valuable reps or any meaningful playing time.
This move to Cleveland could be significant for Zappe, and how he handles the opportunity could change the trajectory of his NFL career.