Former Patriots Quarterback Reportedly Signs Contract With Jets

The New England Patriots kept their season alive on Sunday night with a 16-3 wild-card victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. The majority of teams across the league, though, have begun their offseason work, with that group including the Pats’ longtime rival, the New York Jets.

In 2025, the Jets opted to turn over the quarterback position to Justin Fields, but that experiment quickly went up in flames. Tyrod Taylor and Brady Cook would both eventually take the field over Fields, although neither guy really managed to do much better when it came to leading the team’s offense.

New York is on the hunt for its quarterback of the future, and it’s willing to explore just about every option available. On Monday, reports emerged indicating that the team had signed former Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe to a futures contract.

“Veteran QB Bailey Zappe is signing a futures deal with the Jets, per source,” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported in a post on X.

New England selected Zappe in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and he briefly was the team’s starter in 2023. Zappe has since spent time with the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs, but he did not take the field at all in 2025.

By latching on with the Jets, Zappe could be hoping to receive a shot at earning their starting quarterback gig. Considering the lack of other options in New York, Zappe is a solid depth option to have at the very least, but the front office will likely be looking to bring a big-name target to town at some point this offseason.