Bailey Zappe has taken over as the New England Patriots’ starting quarterback, and he will be starter for their final six games of the 2023 season, assuming he starts against the New York Jets in Week 18. Whether he played well enough to get the chance to compete for the starting job in 2024 remains to be seen, but he’s ready for whatever comes his way.
In an interview with WEEI’s “Jones & Mego” show, the Patriots quarterback was honest about how he feels about possibly having to compete with a different player for the starting job next season.
“If that’s what they decide to do, that’s what they decide to do,” Zappe said. “I’m looking forward to competing against whoever comes in here for that job. I’m going to do the same thing I did last offseason: Get ready to be the guy and if my name’s called I’m going to do the best thing I can to help the team win.”
How Bailey Zappe has played since becoming the Patriots’ starting quarterback
After he took the reins from Mac Jones in Week 13, Zappe’s had some high peaks, but also some really low valleys.
The Patriots were shut out by the Los Angeles Chargers in Zappe’s first start, losing 6-0 as they failed to score a point on the league’s worst defense. He threw for three first-half touchdowns in an upset win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, but struggled mightily in the second half in their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs a week later. He led the Patriots to another upset win against the Denver Broncos, but followed that up with a three-interception performance against the Buffalo Bills.
Zappe’s overall stats as a starter reflect the swings in performance. He’s completed 67.1 percent of his passes for 1,026 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions with an 87.3 passer rating.
That performance obviously isn’t good enough though if you want to be a playoff team. It’s also why the Patriots are still toward the bottom of the NFL’s standings, sitting in a three-way tie for the league’s second worst record at 4-12 entering the final week of the regular season.
For that reason, many folks are entertaining the idea of the Patriots selecting a quarterback with their first-round pick in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. They currently hold the No. 3 overall pick, which could land them one of Caleb Williams or Drake Maye, who are presumably going to be the first two quarterbacks taken in the draft.
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