Bailey Zappe's fate with Patriots couldn't be more clear
With the offseason trade of Mac Jones to the Jaguars and the selection of Drake Maye with the third overall pick in this year's draft, there were a lot of question marks regarding Bailey Zappe's fate with the team for the 2024 season.
Although he flashed as a rookie when filling in for Jones as he rehabbed an ankle injury, he looked less than impressive last season when Bill Belichick named him the starter late in the year. Clearly, he wasn't the future at the position, and the Patriots needed to look elsewhere for a quarterback, but Zappe fit the bill for a suitable backup.
That looked like the plan, even after the signing of Jacoby Brissett and the double-dip in the draft by picking Joe Milton III in the sixth round.
However, Zappe's fate with the team started looking a bit fuzzy as spring practices continued and Jerod Mayo's insistence that the team would only carry three quarterbacks into the summer. It made sense given who else was on the roster, yet the new head coach has changed his tune as minicamp concluded this week.
Bailey Zappe's future with the Patriots might not be conclusive as previously thought
Throughout practices this spring, Brissett has been the QB1 and was declared the starter for the 2024 season by offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. Zappe was second in line with the most reps, followed by Maye and Milton.
Things have changed since the start of OTAs, as Maye has surpassed Zappe on the depth chart in recent weeks to serve as the QB2.
That seemed to solidify the other quarterback competition would be between Milton and Zappe, only for Mayo to reveal he plans to keep all four players on the roster for training camp next month.
Mayo says he envisions the #Patriots carrying four quarterbacks into training camp.
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) June 12, 2024
That's significant news for Zappe, who had all the makings of the odd man out as the most tradeable player of all the quarterbacks. Although his performance so far this offseason hasn't been eye-popping, his experience with the team and positive attitude are taking him far and have changed Mayo's mind about cutting a quarterback before real practices begin.
This could be a good sign for the third-year quarterback, as he now knows that he will remain with the team and have another chance to compete for a spot on the roster.
It adds another layer to the roster competition this summer and will surely catch a lot of attention, primarily as Zappe will compete against a polarizing quarterback like Milton, known for having a rocket arm and a lot of talent.
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