The New England Patriots have been warned several players within the locker room wanted Bailey Zappe to remain the starting quarterback ahead of Mac Jones as the offence faltered in 2022.
After starting signal-caller Jones went down with an injured ankle in the Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens last season, backup quarterback Brian Hoyer got knocked out of the game against the Green Bay Packers. Zappe stepped in and impressed in several appearances.
In his first career start, the rookie - selected in the fourth round a year ago - led New England to a crushing 29-0 win over the Detroit Lions in Foxborough and he backed it on the road against the Cleveland Browns. Zappe completed 24 of 34 pass attempts for 309 yards and two touchdowns to go with zero interceptions in the 38-15 Week 6 win.
When Jones was ready to return, many questioned if the 2021 first round pick should immediately get his job back. The 24-year-old did and was benched in the first half of his return, and while he ultimately never relinquished the starting job, fans clamoured for Zappe to return.
It appears the concern spread from the stands to the locker room. During an appearance on “The Greg Hill Show” on WEEI, former Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty revealed several players thought head coach Bill Belichick should have given Zappe a shot.
“I think player-wise there was enough trust that we’re going to put the best guy out there,” McCourty said. “But the struggles on offence, I think there were some guys in the locker room that were like, ‘Let’s go with Zappe.’ Or, ‘No, Mac looked good today.’
“It was just a back-and-forth, which to me, spoke more about what we had on offence than the quarterback. We never were solidified as an offensive group that guys had full confidence in anything we were doing. There was never true hope.”
Jones enjoyed an impressive rookie season where he finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year award and was named to the Pro Bowl after leading the Patriots to the playoffs for the first time since Tom Brady joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, he struggled to get to grips with the offence in 2022 as the Pats failed to reach the postseason on the back of his inconsistent play amid poor offensive staff.
As a result of his fine performances last season, Zappe - not legends like Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes or Aaron Rodgers - has become the first rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl era to post a rating of over 100 while winning his first two starts. The Super Bowl era runs from 1967 to the present day.
Regardless, it appears the Pats' front office are committed to Jones at this time. However, early reports indicate the franchise is open to installing Zappe as the starter if the former Alabama star’s play continues to decline.
The offence has a new coordinator in Bill O’Brien while the Pats added former Kansas City Chiefs wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster as a primary weapon for whoever is the quarterback. The quarterback battle in New England will be an intriguing narrative to keep tabs on in 2023.
