Bailey Zappe Got Patriots O-Linemen This Gift For Christmas

Bailey Zappe didn’t have much time to plan a Christmas gift for Patriots offensive linemen. He became New England’s starting quarterback in early December, after all, which left him scrambling to uphold a longstanding NFL tradition.

But Zappe eventually came through, as he revealed Tuesday during a WEEI appearance.

“It’s nothing crazy,” Zappe said during a “Jones & Mego” interview. “I got each one a pack of Davidoff cigars. From what I’ve heard, everybody has enjoyed them. I don’t think anybody has smoked them yet, but they have before, and everybody loved the gift. But, you know, it was nothing big. I told them, ‘Hey, I know it was on short notice, I wasn’t able to get nothing too big.’ But they all said it’s the thought that counts. So, it was awesome to kind of treat those guys, because they’ve been working their butts off all year to keep us clean. And they’ve been doing a phenomenal job.”

That’s great and all, but what we really want to know is whether Mac Jones still bought gifts for linemen. Backup quarterbacks typically aren’t expected to partake in the tradition, but Jones isn’t just any second-stringer.

Regardless, Zappe appears to be entrenched as the Patriots’ starting quarterback for the rest of the season. After leading his team to a Christmas Eve road victory over the Denver Broncos, the sophomore QB will look to duplicate the effort this Sunday when the Patriots visit the Buffalo Bills.

Kickoff from Highmark Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.