Could Bailey Zappe Usurp Mac Jones? Ian Rapoport Weighs In

Ian Rapoport believes Bailey Zappe will go back to holding a clipboard once Mac Jones has recovered from his ankle injury and is ready to play.

That said, the respected NFL insider isn’t under the impression that it’s a guarantee the rookie quarterback is bound to return to backup duties.

Zappe was forced to make his NFL debut when Brian Hoyer sustained an injury in Week 4, the first game Jones missed at the NFL level. The fourth-rounder played admirably in a near-impossible situation at Lambeau Field and responded with an impressive effort in his first professional start, which saw the New England Patriots blank the Detroit Lions at Gillette Stadium.

Head coach Bill Belichick, as anyone familiar with New England football could have guessed, is refusing to address the future of his team’s signal-caller arrangement. In search of answers, Pat McAffee turned to Rapoport during the former’s show Thursday.

“I believe Mac Jones is the starter, but he had a couple rough games. Tried to do a little too much, couple turnovers,” Rapoport said. “Belichick’s never gonna get ahead of himself, so he’s never gonna address it until he has to. He wants to judge the whole product. Let’s say Bailey Zappe goes out and wins this weekend, looks really good. It’s gonna get interesting. I think Mac Jones is the starter. I want to say this again: I think Mac Jones is the starter. But it’s not a slam dunk right now.”

While Rapoport’s take leaves an intriguing hypothetical on the table, there apparently is a chance “Zappe Hour” ends Sunday. After nearly suiting up in Week 5, Jones reportedly has a real shot to play when New England visits the Cleveland Browns.

But as Rapoport pointed out, Belichick seemingly isn’t going to make a decision until there’s one second left on the shot clock. So until word comes from the horse’s mouth, we can’t completely rule out the possibility of Zappe leading the Patriots moving forward.