New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick may not be ready to publicly say that Bailey Zappe will start at quarterback on Thursday night, but that certainly appears to be the case.
The six-time Super Bowl champion head coach was reluctant to confirm his team's starting quarterback at a press conference this week. The expectation, though, is that Zappe will get the nod again over Mac Jones in Week 14's Thursday Night Football matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Just don't expect the second-year quarterback to be the one to break the news.
"Coach has made it pretty clear," Zappe said of the QB decision at a press conference Tuesday. "But I'll let him announce it to everybody. That's private right now. Whenever he announces it, that's with him."
The Steelers (7-5) host the Patriots (2-10) at 8:15 p.m. ET on Thursday night in a primetime matchup that leaves much to be desired. The over/under on the game is hovering at around only 30 points at most sportsbooks. And signs point to both teams starting backup quarterbacks either out of necessity or desperation.
With Zappe likely getting the start in the Steel City, here are five things to know about the QB.
Zappe Has History of Replacing Jones
Zappe started his rookie season as New England's No. 3 quarterback. Eventually, though, he was thrust into action after injuries to Jones and then-backup Brian Hoyer.
The signal-caller started two games in his first season as a pro. The Patriots went 2-0 in those games while Zappe completed 74.6 percent of his passes for 497 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.
In four total appearances as a rookie, he threw for 781 yards, five scores, and three picks. And although he only has one start in his second season going into Thursday night, Zappe has still seen the field plenty in 2023. Jones has been benched in four different games this season. And Zappe has relieved him in each instance.
The Patriots went 0-4 in those games and were outscored 92-16.
Enters Steelers Game Still Seeking TD
Zappe has appeared in five total games this season, including his first start of the campaign last week. But the second-year pro is still searching for his first touchdown of the season.
The 24-year-old has completed just half of his passes for 299 yards, no scores, and two interceptions entering Thursday night. The Patriots have reached the end zone only once this season with Zappe under center—when running back Rhamondre Stevenson scored on the ground in a 10-7 loss to the New York Giants.
New England has allowed only 26 points total over its last three games, but went 0-3. Zappe threw for 141 yards in a 6-0 shutout loss to the Los Angeles Chargers last week after getting the starting nod.
"The defense played great," Zappe said after the loss. "I've got to get things going."
Added Belichick on Monday: "I thought he did some good things. Obviously, we didn't produce any points offensively, so that wasn't good. But that wasn't just him, that's everybody. We just have to do a better job there. But no turnovers at the quarterback position, and there were some positive plays. We just need to make more of them."
Zappe's NFL Scouting Report
The 6-foot-1 inch QB from Victoria, Texas, was considered by NFL Media scouts a candidate to make the bottom of a roster or practice squad coming out of college.
"Stocky pocket passer with eye-popping production in high-volume passing attacks," analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his scouting report. "Zappe is a confident passer willing to challenge both man or zone coverages on all three levels.
"His release quickness and arm strength are both below average and he might not work with the anticipation or decision-making prowess to overcome those areas of concern. He's unimpressive physically and lacks precision accuracy, so finding work as a backup might be a longshot despite the impressive career production."
Nate Tice, then an NFL scout for Bleacher Report, praised Zappe's accuracy, footwork, and college production in a different write-up, though brought attention to what he called a below-average arm and average size at the position. Tice compared Zappe to longtime backup Chase Daniel.
Fifth QB Taken in 2022 NFL Draft
The Patriots made Zappe the fifth quarterback taken in the 2022 NFL Draft when they took him in the fourth round with the No. 137 overall pick.
Zappe started his collegiate career at the FCS level, playing four seasons at Houston Baptist from 2017-20. Ahead of the 2021 season, the signal-caller transferred to Western Kentucky. And that move paid off. Zappe set FBS single-season records for passing yards (5,967) and passing touchdowns (62) during his lone season with the Hilltoppers.
Kenny Pickett, Desmond Ridder, Malik Willis, and Matt Corral were the only players at the position taken ahead of him. Pickett would be starting for the Steelers against the Patriots on Thursday night, but he is out with an ankle injury. Ridder is the starter for the Atlanta Falcons, while Willis is a backup QB for the Tennessee Titans. Corral, a third-round pick by the Carolina Panthers, spent time with the Patriots earlier this season.
Zappe's Patriots Contract
Zappe may have been drafted by the Patriots last year, but he is no longer on his original rookie contract. New England cut the second-year quarterback ahead of the season. The Patriots did so with the intention of bringing Zappe back to their practice squad, though ran the risk of losing him to another team via waivers.
But Belichick did get Zappe back. And the Western Kentucky product is now in the first season of a two-year, $1.765 million contract with the Patriots. The deal includes an average annual salary of $882,500 and, in 2023, a cap hit of $870,000, per Spotrac.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Robert Read is a Sports Reporter at Newsweek based in Florida. He previously spent four years working at The Daily ... Read more
