New England Patriots' Bailey Zappe's Offseason 'Stunk,' Backup Job In Jeopardy?
The New England Patriots may have even more problems at the quarterback position than previously thought.
Starting quarterback Mac Jones' struggles are well documented, as the Patriots have benched him in each of their past two games. What's more surprising is the fact that the backup job may not be as secure as previously thought.
Bailey Zappe has replaced Jones in each of the past two games, but earlier in the week, a report emerged that third-stringer Will Grier could take over if Jones struggles again. Now, another report explains why Zappe's grip on the backup job is loosening, diving into his offseason struggles in adapting to Bill O'Brien's new offense.
"If Zappe had a normal summer, the decision to replace Jones would be easy," Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald wrote. "But Zappe, who not only got cut this summer but was passed over by the 31 other teams on waivers, can't cut it. The 2022 fourth-round pick owns a league-worst 41.2% adjusted completion rate, per PFF, going 7-of-18 for 79 yards this season.
Zappe is sacked during a preseason game against the Tennessee Titans in August.
"One source said Zappe’s offseason was a 'rough transition to the new offense.' Another source said Zappe’s performance in training camp and the preseason 'wasn’t good enough on multiple levels.' A third said it 'stunk.'"
This also isn't the first report of Zappe having a subpar offseason. Shortly after the Patriots cut Zappe in August, but before they re-signed him to the practice squad, SI's Albert Breer wrote about how Zappe had trouble learning the new offense.
"Last year, Matt Patricia and Joe Judge actually did a pretty good job of getting Zappe playing fast and confident, in a simpler system that was a little closer to what he did at Western Kentucky," Breer wrote. "This year, Bill O’Brien replaced Patricia and Judge, and went back to an offense closer to what New England’s traditionally done (with a lot of responsibility on the quarterback), and one that better leverages Mac Jones’s strengths. And as they did that, Zappe became less of a fit."
Zappe's performance in the preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans, in which he completed eight of 15 passes for just 57 yards while fumbling three times, also didn't inspire confidence.
While it's not confirmed if Grier has truly jumped Zappe on the depth chart, it will be interesting to see who comes in if Jones struggles again.
