Bailey Zappe's days are officially numbered with the Patriots

After mostly struggling once he relieved Mac Jones of the starting quarterback duties last season, it was clear Bailey Zappe's future in New England was looking bleak, with or without Bill Belichick calling the shots. He isn't the quarterback of the future, which is why the Patriots drafted Drake Maye earlier this year. However, their selection of Joe Milton III in the sixth round created a massive hurdle for Zappe to overcome this offseason.

It was an unexpected double-dip at the position, but it also makes sense why the team couldn't pass up on Milton's arm talent. It all but nearly solidified that Zappe was not part of the Patriots' long-term plans, even as a backup, forcing him to have a standout summer to secure a spot on the 2024 roster.

Throughout OTAs and minicamp, Zappe didn't look any different than he has since signing with the team in 2022. He held down the backup quarterback role behind Jacoby Brissett and ahead of Drake Maye, but it didn't take long for the rookie to move ahead.

That has remained the case since training camp started on Wednesday and will likely stay that way moving forward. But on the second day of practice, things are looking worse for Zappe, as he now appears to have moved down the quarterback depth chart even further.

Bailey Zappe's days with the Patriots appear to be numbered even more

Not long after Thursday's practice began, reporters noted that Milton III was taking third-string reps behind Brissett and Maye. This is a new development regarding the quarterbacks and certainly not a good one for Zappe, who hopes to remain the third backup on the roster for the season ahead.

While it is still too early in training camp to come to any conclusions, seeing Milton III move up the ranks this quickly doesn't bode well for Zappe's chances of making the team and not being relegated to the practice squad.

His two years of experience with the team, including a handful of games as the starter, are valuable. But his inconsistency and lack of wow factor won't hold strong against a guy like Milton, who has a nickname based on his arm strength and deep throws.

Unless he can drastically change his performance over the next several weeks, even into the preseason, it's looking increasingly likely that Zappe won't make the final roster cut. Given the trajectory the new regime is trying to take, the offense in particular, it certainly makes sense, and this looks like an early indication of how they view Zappe in their future plans.

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