Patriots Remain Confident In Bailey Zappe Despite Backup QB Change

Bailey Zappe was not used as the Patriots’ backup quarterback Sunday, marking a significant change in New England’s ranks.

The Patriots elevated Malik Cunningham from the practice squad Saturday, making him the fourth quarterback on the active roster. He wasn’t just added to the bunch, however. Cunningham leapfrogged both Zappe and Will Grier to become New England’s No. 2 quarterback.

The move naturally raised questions about the Patriots’ confidence in Zappe, but offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien claims he still believes in the second-year signal-caller.

“I think it’s week to week,” O’Brien said of the Patriots’ backup quarterback Tuesday. “I think maybe you’re asking is, ‘Have we lost confidence in Bailey?’ We haven’t lost any confidence in Bailey.

“We felt like that was the best way to go about it for the Raiders game based on where we were from an injury standpoint and things like that. ‘How do we get Malik Cunningham into the game?’ That was the best way to get him into the game.”

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The “week to week” tag is one O’Brien used on multiple occasions Tuesday. He said the same thing about Cunningham’s role, which makes sense considering they’re directly tied to one another.

New England seems focused on finding a way to get Cunningham some reps, which in turn, minimizes the role of Zappe. There’s a question as to how long that will be the case, of course. The Patriots are currently trying to get Cunningham on the field while still teaching him the ins and outs of the wide receiver position. If they’re doing that, Zappe might continue as the emergency quarterback on game days.