Anyone who saw Mac Jones play quarterback for the New England Patriots in 2022 probably knew his days as the starter were numbered. You can apparently count Jones’ former backup-turned-starter Bailey Zappe in that notable group.
According to a report from Kaylee Hartung of Thursday Night Football, Zappe never lost confidence in his aptitude with the Patriots. Even after being cut by New England this summer and moved to the practice squad, he was confident he’d eventually start games for Bill Belichick and Co. That or Zappe knew Jones brought nothing remarkable to the table and was simply biding his time.
Either way, this is a wild thing to reveal about a teammate before making your second start of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Hat tip to Nicole Menner of NBC10 WJAR.)
Kaylee Hartung on the TNF broadcast on Bailey Zappe’s confidence (I thought the last part was interesting): pic.twitter.com/eqGg2bbp8j
— Nicole Menner (@NicoleMenner) December 8, 2023
There’s something to be said about an athlete maintaining the utmost confidence in their ability, regardless of their current circumstances. That’s not necessarily groundbreaking. But that sentiment there sure reads like Zappe understood Jones didn’t have the capacity to play at this level of football for much longer. Because he saw him up close aplenty last season, and that sample size told him everything. And it’s kind of jarring to even read after watching Zappe throw three touchdowns in the first half against the Steelers alone.
Who knew a battle of two glorified backup quarterbacks could be so dramatic?