Everything Bill Belichick Said About Patriots’ Starting QB Situation

Bill Belichick wouldn’t say after Sunday’s embarrassing Patriots loss whether the team planned to make a change at quarterback.

A day later, he still was not ready to do so.

“We just got back from Germany here, so we’ll work through everything,” the head coach said in his Monday morning video conference. “We’ll look at everything, all the way across the board. Not specifically any one position, just try to look at everything. Do the best that we can here moving forward.”

Belichick benched starter Mac Jones late in New England’s 10-3 loss to the Indianapolis Colts at Frankfurt Stadium. It was Jones’ third benching of the season and his first in a game that was not a blowout.

After Jones threw an awful red-zone interception with 4:38 remaining, Belichick inserted backup Bailey Zappe for the Patriots’ final two-minute drill. Zappe picked up two first downs but then threw his own ill-advised pick to ice the game for Indianapolis.

“We just felt like we needed to make a change at that point,” Belichick said Monday on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show,” reiterating the explanation he gave postgame.

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The circumstances surrounding Jones’ latest removal will make it difficult for the Patriots to proceed with him as the starter, as the team showed a clear lack of faith in him at a critical juncture. If they do decide to install a new QB1 during their Week 11 bye, Zappe would be the most logical replacement.

The Patriots cut Zappe before the season, however, and the 2022 fourth-round draft pick did not impress in any of his three relief appearances, completing just 40% of his passes and averaging 4.0 yards per attempt. He went 3-for-7 for 25 yards with an interception Sunday.

Despite that, Belichick praised the Western Kentucky product’s work behind the scenes and said Zappe showed “some positive things” in his handful of game reps.

“Bailey’s had some opportunities,” Belichick said. “I think he’s prepared well every week, and we called on him at the end of a couple games — three games, I guess it was. I think he stepped in and did the best he could. Was it perfect? No. Were there some positive things? Yes.”

Zappe said after Sunday’s game that he’s “100%” confident he could succeed as New England’s starting QB.

Veteran third-stringer Will Grier has worked hard, too, according to Belichick, though his opportunities have been limited based on where he sits on the depth chart.

The Patriots signed Grier off the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad in late September, and he’s served as the emergency third QB in all but one game since his arrival. The 28-year-old has not appeared in a regular-season game since his rookie year in 2019.

“Will’s certainly improving every week in terms of understanding and working with his teammates and running the scout team and executing the plays that he has the opportunity to,” Belichick said. “There’s just not a lot of opportunities for that, right now the third position, which is where he’s been. But he’s taken advantage of the ones that he’s had.”

Undrafted rookie Malik Cunningham, who splits his time between quarterback and wide receiver, rounds out New England’s QB room. The athletic Louisville product played six offensive snaps last month during a brief promotion to the 53-man roster. He’s now back on the practice squad after being waived in late October.

The 2-8 Patriots will be off this weekend before returning to action Sunday, Nov. 26 against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.