Did Bailey Zappe Shade Mac Jones After Patriots-Jaguars Trade?

In wake of Sunday’s news, Bailey Zappe is set to be the only quarterback on the Patriots roster when the new NFL year begins Wednesday.

That’s because New England reportedly is finalizing a trade to send Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Cutting ties with Jones only felt like a matter of time, as the 2021 first-rounder lost his starting job to Zappe heading into Week 13 of last season.

How did Zappe feel about the reported Jones trade? Well, as the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan pointed out, the 2022 fourth-rounder “liked” the NFL’s Instagram post that reported the news of Jones’ move to Jacksonville.

Of course, Zappe’s social media activity doesn’t necessarily mean he’s happy to see his now-former teammate leave New England. The third-year signal-caller had a front-row seat to Jones’ nightmare two-year stretch in Foxboro, Mass., so maybe he’s glad to see the Alabama product finally break free and receive a fresh start elsewhere.

Or maybe there’s even an element of jealousy. After all, Zappe could end up being an odd man out in New England if the franchise uses a high draft pick on a quarterback next month and brings in a new veteran to help with his development.

That said, the Jones-Zappe relationship reportedly was “icy,” at least at some point during the former’s Patriots downfall. So it very well might be a “good riddance” situation for the Western Kentucky product.