Why Bailey Zappe Is Already a Jets Cut Candidate 9 Days Before 53-Man Roster Deadline

Zappe's back is against the wall following disastrous preseason Week 1 performance.

Bailey Zappe's time with the Jets is running out now that training camp is almost over. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While the results ultimately do not matter in the overall picture, preseason games are important in the sense that they give backups and third-stringers a chance to show they belong on their respective rosters when the depth chart is trimmed down to 53 players.

The Jets have until 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 30, to determine who will make up their 53-man roster, and one player who has only made it harder on himself is veteran quarterback Bailey Zappe, who threw a pair of interceptions and had one returned for a touchdown in the Jets' preseason-opening loss to the Buccaneers last week.

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Zappe was initially viewed as the clear frontrunner for the QB2 position when he was signed in January, having experience from nine starts in 15 career appearances. However, he had done nothing before the preseason opener to back up that notion and is clearly on thin ice after his mistake-filled performance against the Buccaneers.

With nine days to go until the cutdown deadline, it's safe to say that time is running out.

Bailey Zappe's time with the Jets is running thin

To make matters worse for Zappe, he has only completed 62.1% of his career passes and has more interceptions (14) than TDs (12) and losses (5) than wins (4). He was also waived by the Chiefs in the 2025 preseason before spending the regular season on the Browns' practice squad.

To Zappe's credit, he showed some promise in 11-on-11 drills at camp and has the experience advantage over fellow backups Cade Klubnik and Brady Cook, so it is not entirely out of the question that his QB2 hopes are completely dashed.

With that said, the clock is not far from reaching midnight on him in Gang Green if he does not respond to the preseason Week 1 adversity, making it crucial that he has a big game the next two weeks to save his roster spot.

The Jets will have no choice but to turn the page on Bailey Zappe if the 27-year-old QB struggles against the Steelers on Friday. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What hurts Zappe's chances even more is the continued progression from Klubnik and how his accuracy and poise in the pocket for someone with his inexperience have made the QB2 position his to lose at this point. After all, Klubnik was 5-of-7 for 56 yards and led a couple of scoring drives in his NFL preseason debut, showing why the QB2 battle could be decided in preseason Week 2.

Sure, Klubnik has made some mistakes as you would expect from a rookie who is still learning a new system, but the impressions he has made on head coach Aaron Glenn and the Jets staff speak to a player whose performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday night could help him secure the backup role and eliminate any doubts.

Zappe was ultimately given a huge opportunity himself in that preseason opener after Glenn decided to sit Klubnik despite his strong start to the game, a decision for which he came under fire. Not only did Zappe struggle immensely, but Cook improved his outlook with a solid 9-of-15 showing for 108 yards, further adding to the pressure that Zappe continues to face as he fights for a roster spot that once appeared to be his for the taking.

Looking ahead...

As the Jets head into Friday night's preseason game against the Steelers, there is no denying how the team's QB depth chart is taking shape. While Cook is still not safe by any means and Zappe seems closer to losing his job than retaining it, it is clear that veteran Geno Smith and Klubnik are the top two signal-callers on this roster.

Even though Smith missed the preseason Week 1 game due to a sore left ankle and will likely be limited in Week 2 as he gets back up to speed, Glenn has reiterated that he is the starter when the regular season kicks off. Throw in the impressions that Klubnik has made on the coaching staff, and it only makes for a more uncertain future in Gotham for Zappe.

For what it's worth, cutting Zappe would save the Jets just over $1 million in salary cap space without any dead money, according to Spotrac.

The Jets' final two preseason games will give him some chances to prove that his preseason Week 1 disaster was an outlier going forward. If it is much of the same and the improvements are not made to correct those issues, Zappe will likely be left searching for a new home real soon.

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