There was always the possibility of a Bill Belichick surprise, but not even New England Patriots fans could prepare themselves for the shocking roster news that dropped on Tuesday.
Second-year quarterback Bailey Zappe, who turned into a fan-favorite when stepping in for an injured Mac Jones last season, was released by the team.
Zappe served as Jones’ top backup on the roster, and that was expected to remain the case throughout the 2023 season. But the Patriots are seemingly going in a completely different direction considering they also released rookie Malik Cunningham and veteran Trace McSorley.
Jones is currently the only quarterback on their roster.
Of course, that left Patriots Twitter with plenty to debate about in the aftermath of one of the most shocking headlines regarding the 53-man roster deadline. Here’s what people were saying after the move.