Bill Belichick Has Seen This Big Improvement From Bailey Zappe

FOXBORO, Mass. — Whether Bill Belichick loves what he’s seen from Bailey Zappe on the field this spring is anyone’s guess. But he clearly is impressed with how the second-year quarterback is handling his business behind the scenes.

The Patriots head coach was asked Monday what he’s seen from Zappe as he looks to build off his impressive — and much-discussed — cameo from last season. Belichick predictably didn’t talk about what happened in 2022, but instead pointed toward Zappe’s work in the training room as a big area of improvement.

“Bailey works hard like he always does,” Belichick said before the start of mandatory minicamp. “He puts in a lot of time. His conditioning is way better than it was last year. He’s really done a good job on that.”

“His conditioning is way better than it was last year”

Bill Belichick on Bailey Zappe

Zappe, whom many fans believe should be New England’s starting quarterback, has been the Patriots’ clear No. 2 QB during spring practices. The Western Kentucky product has seen some work with the first-time offense, but Mac Jones has enjoyed the vast majority of reps with the starters.

But Zappe isn’t resigned to being just a backup, nor should he be.

“Like Coach Bill said at the beginning of the offseason, everybody’s competing for a spot,” Zappe after a practice last week. “So, that’s the way I’m approaching it. Like I said earlier, I’m taking every rep like a game rep. So, trying to get better every day.”

It’s important to note that we can’t glean too much from who does what, and how much they do it, during spring practices.

Cam Newton was the obvious Week 1 starter throughout the 2021 offseason — until he wasn’t. If Zappe gets more opportunities during training camp and makes the most of them, the Patriots could be in for a real quarterback competition.

Nevertheless, Belichick went out of his way to pay Zappe a compliment, and that shouldn’t be ignored.