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Patriots captain reacts to surprising Bailey Zappe decision
Longtime New England Patriots special teams captain Matthew Slater was surprised by the team's decision to part ways with backup quarterback Bailey Zappe as part of final cuts made on Tuesday.
"I guess I’ve learned to expect the unexpected," Slater said while speaking with reporters on Tuesday afternoon, per Zack Cox of NESN. "You just worry about the things that you can control. You keep your head down and hope that you do a good enough job, and you support your teammates. Certainly, something like that is, I guess, surprising for a lot of us, but that’s just the nature of the business."
Zappe joined the Patriots as a 2022 fourth-round draft pick and went 2-0 in his rookie starts when Mac Jones was sidelined with a high-ankle sprain.
In total, Zappe completed 65 of 92 pass attempts (70.7%) for 781 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions during his debut pro campaign.
It was thought this past spring that Zappe would receive a legitimate opportunity to compete with Jones this summer for the starting job after it was rumored that head coach Bill Belichick may have shopped the 2021 first-round draft pick this offseason.
However, Cox mentioned that Zappe "never truly threatened" Jones up through the team's preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans this past Friday.
"I know he’ll land on his feet and do a great job," Slater added about Zappe, "and I also trust that coach is always doing what’s in the best interest of the football team and putting us in the best position to have success. So, mixed emotions on that, but I love Bailey. He knows how I feel about him. He’s one of my favorite kids of all time."
Jones ended Tuesday as the only quarterback on New England's active roster after the club cut both Zappe and undrafted rookie Malik Cunningham. The Patriots could look to sign both players to their practice squad if they clear waivers.
More must-reads:
- Patriots make two surprising QB cuts, leaving only Mac Jones on roster
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Report reveals if Commanders intend to trade WR Terry McLaurin
In the absence of progress at the negotiating table, Terry McLaurin went public with a trade request on Thursday. The chances of the Commanders dealing him away have long been viewed as low, and that remains the case at this point. A number of teams inquired with Washington about McLaurin prior to the news of his trade request. As Nicki Jhabvala and Dianna Russini of The Athletic report, though, the Commanders informed suitors they have no plans of moving on from the two-time Pro Bowler. The sides remain at an impasse regarding extension talks, so interest on the trade front will no doubt continue until and unless an agreement is reached. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated notes a number of issues (including overall value and guarantees) are yet to be resolved in McLaurin’s case. That differs from, for instance, the case of Trey Hendrickson and the Bengals. The AAV of a new Cincinnati agreement appears to have been hammered out, but the sides are at an impasse with respect to guaranteeing more than the first year of any new pact. It remains to be seen general manager Adam Peters and the Commanders will be willing to reach or surpass $30M per year on a long-term contract. While remarking on the situation, one general manager told Russini they liken this case to that of Haason Reddick from last year. Reddick engaged in lengthy holdout with the Jets while seeking an extension following his trade from the Eagles. In the end, a short-term compromise was made but Reddick’s debut was delayed until Week 8 and he departed in free agency after an underwhelming campaign. Any similar absence through the regular season — something which, to be clear, McLaurin has not yet threatened — would of course be highly detrimental to a Commanders team aiming to duplicate last year’s run to the NFC title game. During a Friday appearance on the "Rich Eisen Show" (video link), NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said a trade cannot completely be ruled out at this point. The Patriots are known to be a potential suitor in the event Peters’ approach changes and consideration is given to a swap. Such a move would leave Washington with trade acquisition (and pending 2026 free agent) Deebo Samuel atop the WR depth chart. However, the Commanders have a star quarterback on a rookie contract, opening up a clear competitive window for them to build around Jayden Daniels before he commands a market-level salary. That would seem to include investing in a perennial thousand-yard threat like McLaurin — who already has an impressive rapport with his young QB. Coming to an agreement with the soon-to-be 30-year-old feels like an inevitability, whether it be before Week 1 or partway into the regular season.
One player from each AFC team who deserves Hall of Fame call
Let the (preseason) games begin. With the Detroit Lions-Los Angeles Chargers Pro Football Hall of Fame Game kicking off 2025 action, Yardbarker NFL writers mulled a player — past or present — on each AFC team who merits enshrinement in Canton. AFC East BUFFALO BILLS | LB Von Miller | As the NFL’s active leader in sacks (129.5), Miller — who's now with the Commanders — is a sure bet for the Hall of Fame even though he missed 14 games in three years with Buffalo. In 10 seasons with Denver, Miller earned a Defensive Rookie of the Year award, made eight Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams and was named MVP of Super Bowl 50, the last defensive player to win the award. MIAMI DOLPHINS | WR Tyreek Hill | His subpar 2024 season aside (81 catches, 959 yards, six TD catches), the 31-year-old receiver boasts a Hall of Fame resume (eight Pro Bowls and five first-team All-Pro nods in nine years). Hill led NFL receivers with 1,799 yards in 2023 and has six 1,000-yard seasons in his career, two fewer than Cris Carter, who spent the last five games of his Hall of Fame career with Miami. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS | Kicker Adam Vinatieri | The NFL’s all-time leading scorer (2,673 points) narrowly missed induction as a finalist in 2025, his first year of eligibility, and will be an automatic finalist in 2026. Vinatieri, who retired in 2021, holds records for most field goals made in the regular season (599) and playoffs (56) and helped the Patriots win three Super Bowls before winning another with the Colts in 2007. NEW YORK JETS | QB Aaron Rodgers | The enigmatic passer disappointed as a Jet, but four first-team All-Pro honors, four NFL MVP awards and a Super Bowl MVP with the Green Bay Packers can’t be overlooked. Rodgers’ 62,952 passing yards are the seventh most in league history, and his 4.34 touchdown-to-interception ratio is the best of any quarterback, past or present. — Bruce Ewing AFC West DENVER BRONCOS | WR Rod Smith | Smith played a key role when the Broncos repeated as Super Bowl champions in the 1997 and 1998 seasons. The three-time Pro Bowler had 152 receiving yards in a 34-19 Super Bowl XXXIII win over the Atlanta Falcons, tied for the sixth most in a Super Bowl. The undrafted WR starred for Denver from 1995-2006, becoming the club’s career leader in receiving yards (11,389). KANSAS CITY CHIEFS | QB Patrick Mahomes | Star tight end Travis Kelce would be an excellent pick, too, but the Chiefs had won only one Super Bowl before Mahomes became the starter during the 2018 season. The 2017 first-round pick has won three Super Bowls and two MVPs in eight seasons with the Chiefs. Expect Mahomes, who turns 30 on Sept. 17, to keep bolstering his stellar resume. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS | QB Philip Rivers | Rivers, who retired as a Charger in July, never reached a Super Bowl during his career, but neither did former Chargers QB Dan Fouts. That didn’t prevent him from making the HOF in 1993. The same should go for eight-time Pro Bowler Rivers, who ranks sixth in career TD passes (421). LAS VEGAS RAIDERS | Guard Steve Wisniewski | It’s surprising Wisniewski isn’t in Canton already. Per Pro Football Reference, his HOF monitor score (76.58) is higher than that of HOF guard Mike Munchak (72.7). The former O-lineman is also a member of the HOF’s All-1990s team. — Clark Dalton AFC North BALTIMORE RAVENS | LB Terrell Suggs | Suggs, who played from 2003-19, and former Ravens guard Marshal Yanda were finalists for the 2025 class but missed out. Suggs was one of the more dominant pass-rushers of his era, accumulating 139 career sacks, earning seven Pro Bowl nods, one first-team All-Pro, a Defensive Player of the Year award and an NFL-record 202 tackles for loss. He was a key part of two Super Bowl winners. CINCINNATI BENGALS | QB Ken Anderson | The Bengals did not win a Super Bowl during Anderson’s career (1971-86), but that is pretty much the only thing separating him from other Hall of Fame quarterbacks, especially from his era in the 1970s. Anderson has an NFL MVP award and led the league in passing twice, completion percentage three times and passer rating four times. CLEVELAND BROWNS | Edge Myles Garrett | Garrett is still active, but it’s not hard to see the path his career is on. He has been the more dominant pass-rusher in the league from pretty much the day he arrived. He may not win a title in Cleveland, but he is going to finish as one of the best Browns players of all time and one of the best defenders of the modern era in the NFL. PITTSBURGH STEELERS | QB Ben Roethlisberger | Roethlisberger, who retired in 2022, does not have many individual accolades, but spending nearly two decades as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL and earning two Super Bowl rings will be more than enough to get him in. It is just a matter of how long he might have to wait for induction. — Adam Gretz AFC South HOUSTON TEXANS | DE J.J. Watt | Widely considered to be a first-ballot lock, Watt — who retired following the 2022 season — will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2028. His career could have been even better if not for several seasons being shortened by injury, but Watt is one of only three players to win three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards. Few players were capable of changing the game the way a healthy Watt could. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS | Kicker Adam Vinatieri | The three-time Pro Bowl selection made 29 game-winning kicks in his career, including two that won Super Bowls for the Patriots. Vinatieri has four Super Bowl rings and could be considered the most clutch kicker of all time. There are four kickers in the Hall of Fame, and it is almost impossible to argue against Vinatieri becoming the fifth. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS | RB Fred Taylor | The wait continued in 2025 for Taylor, a Hall of Fame finalist for the second straight year, but he did not get the nod. Taylor, who retired in 2011, ranks 17th in NFL history with 11,695 rushing yards and holds numerous Jaguars records. The only running back ahead of him on the all-time rushing list who is not in the Hall of Fame is Frank Gore, and he is likely to get into Canton eventually. TENNESSEE TITANS | RB Derrick Henry | Titans legends Eddie George and Steve McNair advanced in the Hall of Fame voting process for 2025, but there is a good chance neither will get into Canton. Henry, meanwhile, is already 19th on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 11,423 yards and coming off a season in which he ran for 1,921 yards. Henry, who spent the majority of his career in Tennessee, should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. — Steve DelVecchio
Steelers Add Familiar Face To Defensive Line Depth Chart After Recent Plague Of Injuries
The Pittsburgh Steelers likely have a handful of "bubble" players on speed-dial throughout training camp. Some guys always seem like they are on the cusp of making the roster, so they get called upon when injuries pile up. Recently, Pittsburgh lost three defensive linemen to knee issues, including Dean Lowry. There is no word on how severe they are just yet. At this point, it feels like the team needs bodies to work with the second and third-team defense. The Steelers signed more than just a camp body, however. They signed a veteran that knows the system. The announcement came via the player himself, as defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko posted on X that he is signing with the Steelers once again. Fehoko has spent 2023 and 2024 on the Steelers' practice squad after a three-year stint with the Los Angeles Chargers. In Los Angeles, he appeared in 19 games, including four starts. He has racked up 36 total tackles in his career, and he is looking to prove that he can do more than that, so he can get a chance to stick on the Steelers' 53-man roster finally. He will definitely have a window of opportunity with all the injuries on the defensive line, as well as the recent influx of youth. Captain Cameron Heyward is one of very few long-time veterans in the position group, so the coaching staff would likely be happy with having another veteran stick around for the entire 2025 season. Lowry was another veteran expected to make it past the final cuts, but that status is now up in the air. The injuries are not the only thing giving Fehoko a chance here. The Steelers' defensive line depth was already rough before the injuries piled up, and now it's even worse. It appears to be a very top-heavy unit, depending on how well rookie Derrick Harmon plays. Outside of that, there is a lot to be desired from the collective unit. A little bit of veteran presence from a familiar face is surely welcomed. Steelers Have Been Looking For Better Performances From Their Defensive Line Obviously, the 2024 season did not end the way the Steelers had hoped, as they routinely lost in the trenches late in the season. That failure forced a positional overhaul, including two rookie defensive linemen getting drafted together. That kind of end-of-year performance is absolutely unacceptable, and everyone knows it. It's time to get bigger, stronger, and meaner together, and that was what they went for in the 2025 offseason. So far, early returns have been great from training camp, although it's unclear if the defensive line is performing that well, the offensive line is performing that poorly, or a little bit of both. Either way, the first-team unit seems to be doing its job well. More depth is never a bad thing, however, and that's why Fehoko was brought back. They could really use someone like him holding down the fort for the backups. This will be a unique camp competition for Fehoko, as he will be competing against Logan Lee, who was essentially red-shirted in 2024, DeMarvin Leal, who has positional flexibility, and then more of the typical bubble players. Outside of the three projected starters and rookie Yahya Black, nobody's job is safe and secure. There are many bones for all the dogs to fight for. The roster move to free up a spot for Fehoko is to be determined, but the most likely scenario is one of the three injured defensive linemen either going on injured reserve or getting released with an injury settlement.
Penguins' Erik Karlsson Trade Talks Reportedly Take New Turn
The Pittsburgh Penguins are in full rebuild mode entering the new NHL season, and it has seen the front office engage with other teams in different trade talks. Pittsburgh has a few veteran players who could net them some strong assets for the future, and a late offseason trade could come about. One of those players is veteran defenseman Erik Karlsson, who has seen his name mentioned heavily of late. Karlsson still has a lot of value around the league, and it could see Pittsburgh land some quality pieces in return. According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, the market for Karlsson may not be as open as originally thought. Outside of the Carolina Hurricanes, Seravalli isn't sure where the veteran star could be traded. Karlsson wants to play for a contending team at this point in his career, and most teams have already filled up their rosters. If Karlsson is going to be traded, he may want to consider other options or even a team that is on the cusp of being a Stanley Cup contender. The veteran proved that he could still heavily impact games on the ice, and he just wants a chance to win a title before he calls it a career. With the Penguins last season, Karlsson put up 11 goals and 42 assists over 82 games played. The Penguins missed the playoffs again, and it seems that a trade of Karlsson could be coming down the pipeline soon. If Carolina were to land the veteran, it could increase their chances of getting over the hump. The Hurricanes already traded for defenseman K'Andre Miller this offseason, so Karlsson could give them a loaded blueline for the year. Carolina has fallen short each season, so landing Karlsson could be the missing piece to the puzzle. But for now, it seems that the Penguins will be patient to see what else may open up with training camp starting up soon.
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