Bailey Zappe Time? What Patriots’ Bye-Week Plans Reportedly Could Be

Mac Jones has been a mess throughout the 2023 NFL season, and the Patriots weren’t committed to the quarterback following their Week 10 matchup in Frankfurt, Germany.

The third-year quarterback revealed on “Jones & Mego” on Tuesday that New England had not told him he’d be the starting quarterback moving forward, and the team’s media schedule after Week 10 didn’t hint that Jones would be the starter either.

Jones reportedly lost the “vast majority” of the locker room despite team captains publicly backing the Alabama product. Bill Belichick has not been afraid to bench Jones in the middle of games, but the longtime head coach hasn’t revealed what New England plans to do during his team’s bye and for the rest of the season.

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Dan Graziano predicted Wednesday that Bailey Zappe would start against the New York Giants in Week 12. The ESPN insider added sources told him the Patriots could use the bye week to prepare Zappe to be the starter.

“The Pats are almost certain to be looking for a new quarterback in the spring, but in the meantime, they feel like Zappe has shown enough in practice to be viable,” Graziano wrote. “It’s not 100%, and few people know enough to accurately predict what Belichick will do. But it sounds like there’s a solid chance Zappe will be the guy for Week 12 and maybe the rest of the season.”

The second-year backup has been the only quarterback this season who’s come in relief for Jones, but Zappe’s release before the season signaled New England wasn’t that confident in the Western Kentucky product and wasn’t worried another team would scoop him up in waivers. Even when he’s played, Zappe did very little to prove he’s a significant upgrade over Jones.

“The Pats are almost certain to be looking for a new quarterback in the spring …”

Dan Graziano on the Patriots’ QB situation

Jeremy Fowler also heard similar rumblings about the quarterback situation but added things still are “up in the air.” However, the NFL insider noted it wouldn’t be a surprise if Zappe did get more time either as a substitute or as a starter.

“Zappe is likely the next man up, but it feels like anything is possible over the next eight weeks,” Fowler wrote. “Malik Cunningham and Will Grier can’t be totally overlooked. The Pats’ quarterback room could look far different in 2024 when New England could have a top-five pick in a draft that features several talented passers.”

The ESPN insiders agreed with what the sentiment felt like after the loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Germany: Jones does not have a future in New England.

Cunningham was the only Patriots active quarterback other than Jones in Week 6 against the Las Vegas Raiders, but the quarterback/wide receiver hybrid didn’t take a snap under center despite Jones’ struggles.

Grier primarily has been the emergency third quarterback for the Patriots, and it’s been a toss-up regarding who the team views as the better option.

Patriots fans will have to wait through the bye week before there’s even an inkling about who starts against the Tommy Devito-led Giants.