Unlike many Patriots fans, Kurt Warner isn’t dealing with a case of “Zappe Fever.”
Bailey Zappe has been all the rage in New England after making his NFL debut in Week 4. Zappe played admirably at Lambeau Field in a losing effort, but he looked like a legitimate starting quarterback in each of his first two starts. And if the rookie leads the Patriots to a third consecutive win Monday night at Gillette Stadium, it theoretically will make it more difficult for Bill Belichick and company to put him back on the bench.
That’s the move Kurt Warner would make if he was calling the shots in Foxboro, though. During an appearance on the “Next Pats Podcast,” the Hall of Famer explained why he’d give the keys back to Mac Jones once he’s healthy.
“I think the bottom line is Mac was really good last year when they had a good defense and they ran the football really well and they went on a run,” Warner told host Phil Perry, as transcribed by NBC Sports Boston. “That’s what they’re doing right now with Bailey. And I think the bottom line really comes down to, which of these two guys do you think is better? Which of these guys do you believe can be your long-term answer? I haven’t seen anything from Mac Jones or anything from Bailey that I say, ‘Oh my gosh, you’ve got to go with Bailey because he does this better than Mac.’ So I would be hard-pressed to think that they’re not going to go back to Mac.
“I think this gives you that luxury of saying ‘Mac, get healthy. We feel comfortable with the young guy and he’s playing well, and we’re not asking him to do too much. We’re comfortable with that, so you can get fully healthy and get back in there.'”
One report indicates Jones might be able to get back in there for the final game of the NFL’s Week 7 slate. The sophomore’s health level reportedly was labeled as “85-to-90%” almost a full week before the Patriots’ primetime matchup with the Chicago Bears.
