Zappe Explains Kurt Warner Contact During Patriots Release
Few Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterbacks have a better story than former Los Angeles Ram and Arizona Cardinal quarterback Kurt Warner. After going undrafted in the 1994 NFL Draft, Warner signed with the Green Bay Packers and was cut at the end of training camp.
From there, he spent three seasons in the Arena Football League and one as part of NFL Europe before getting his chance with the Rams, where he went on to have his Hall of Fame career in the NFL.
With that story in mind, Bailey Zappe contacted the Hall of Famer following his release from the New England Patriots earlier this season, as revealed by Warner during Sunday's broadcast of the team's 26-23 win over the Denver Broncos.
New England Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe (left) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner (right).
USA TODAY Sports
“That was right after I got cut,” Zappe said following the win over the Broncos. “At that point in time, that was the worst thing I’d ever had happen to me in my football career. Me and him have built a relationship at the combine and everything to where I texted him because I know he’s been through a lot. It wasn’t a very easy career for him coming into the league. He had to do a lot of things, and he had to overcome a lot of adversity.
“So I just reached out to him, just kind of picked his brain about it, and I’m glad I have somebody like that — outside, of course, my coaches that I go to — that I can pick their brain.”
Zappe, the fourth-round pick formerly of Western Kentucky, has seemingly come a long way since the Patriots cut him. At the time, it was unexpected and downright shocking that the Patriots opted to cut not only Zappe but also then-undrafted free agent standout Malik Cunningham.
The move that left the Patriots with only Mac Jones as the only quarterback on the roster was temporary, as Zappe and Cunningham were brought back to Foxboro days later through the practice squad.
Luckily for the Patriots, that is how things worked out, as since being cut before the start of the regular season, things have drastically changed at quarterback. Zappe has overtaken former first-round pick Mac Jones as the Patriots starting quarterback, leading them to wins in two of his four starts.
The most recent of those came on Sunday, when the second-year signal-caller put together one of his best performances as a Patriot, completing 25 of his 33 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns. The win on the road over the Broncos included a game-winning drive orchestrated by Zappe as he led the Patriots 43 yards before Chad Ryland's 56-yard field goal.
Zappe and the Patriots will look to replicate their success on Sunday when they go on the road to face the Buffalo Bills. Kickoff inside Highmark Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m. (EST).
