So far, all signs are pointing to Bailey Zappe being the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots in Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The first sign was Zappe taking the first reps at quarterback at the media portion of Wednesday’s practice. Rookie Malik Cunningham looked like he was working in as the backup, while Mac Jones stood back and watched.
But the biggest sign that the Patriots will be going with Zappe this week is the fact that the second-year signal-caller is slated to have media availability on Thursday, which is typically reserved for the starting quarterback.
Briefly spoke with #Patriots QB Bailey Zappe, who politely declined to speak until his media availability tomorrow. Asked him if he had a good practice.
“Great practice,” he said.
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) November 29, 2023
The Patriots could be looking to shake things up after another disappointing outing from Jones in the team’s Week 12 loss to the New York Giants.
When Jones was on the field, the Patriots didn’t even score for the entire first half of the game. Zappe, on the other hand, led the team on a scoring drive right out of the gates in the second half, and if not for a missed 35-yard field goal by Chad Ryland, he also nearly led them on a comeback drive in the end.
He might not be the better quarterback on paper, but given everything that’s happened with Jones, he’s the best option for the Patriots right now.
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