What Bailey Zappe Must Prove To Bill Belichick To Start Over Mac Jones

FOXBORO, Mass. -- Even with Mac Jones enduring a season from hell, the Patriots have yet to assign Bailey Zappe with starting duties.

Why? Head coach Bill Belichick seemed to indicate Wednesday that Zappe, the Patriots' second-year backup quarterback, has not taken advantage of his opportunities.

"Look, every player, whatever opportunities they have, need to do the best with them that they can -- practice, games, even in meetings and other preparation opportunities," Belichick said when asked what Zappe must show to earn a start for his free-falling New England squad. "So, that’s what a player can do: be prepared, do the best he can. That's what each guy will have an opportunity to do somewhere along the line over the course of a long season.

"A lot of times, it's multiple times in a day. Sometimes, for some players, the opportunities are a little bit different. But when those opportunities come, that's what players need to do. That’s what they've been told, and they know and understand that, and I think they’re doing the best they can. We'll see how it goes."

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Though he impressed as a rookie, Zappe clearly has not capitalized on the game reps he's seen this season. He replaced Jones in four of the Patriots' first 11 contests and struggled in all four, completing 48.7% of his passes with no touchdowns, two interceptions and a 4.1 yards-per-attempt average.

That last mark ranks second-to-last among all NFL QBs with at least 35 pass attempts, ahead of only Cleveland Brown rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

Zappe's most recent outing was his best of 2023, but that was a low bar to clear. He was behind center for the Patriots' lone touchdown drive, but he didn't complete a pass that traveled more than 5 yards downfield and threw a costly interception that set up the deciding field goal in a 10-7 loss to the New York Giants.

Only coaches and fellow players know how Zappe has performed on the practice field, but his inability to overtake a clearly broken Jones suggests he isn't measuring up there, either.

Offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien last week said whichever QB "earn(ed)" the job in practice would start against the Giants, and the Patriots wound up sticking with Jones after benching him late in the fourth quarter of the previous game. Zappe subbed in after halftime, with the two signal-callers combining for no touchdowns and three picks as New England lost for the ninth time this season.

If Zappe hasn't been able to sufficiently impress Belichick over the last four months, the odds of him doing so now are slim. But the Patriots might finally be at their breaking point with Jones, who currently looks incapable of operating their talent-deficient offense. It's past time for a quarterback change, and Zappe would be the next man up by default.

Belichick would not announce a starter for this Sunday's home game against the Los Angeles Chargers.