Bailey Zappe looks like a real class act after Patriots drafted two quarterbacks in 2024 NFL Draft

For Bailey Zappe, it's easy to assume that things haven't been easy for the quarterback since the end of the 2023 season. 

Zappe went from being the starting quarterback during the second half of the season to now being a candidate to be cut prior to training camp. 

The team traded Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars and brought in veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett prior to the draft. And then after the draft, there are now two additional quarterbacks on the roster including Drake Maye, who was selected with the No. 3 overall pick. 

But prior to the first day of OTAs, head coach Jerod Mayo took a moment to praise the way Zappe has handled everything. 

"Honestly, I think about Zap [Bailey Zappe] as a true professional," Jerod Mayo said on Monday. "You know, we drafted two quarterbacks. Obviously, he is going to be competing with those guys, but at the same time, he is an open book. He is a resource."

However, Zappe does have one clear advantage over the two rookies. 

"He has started games in this league," Mayo said. "And that’s more than the other two quarterbacks can say."

Zappe played in 10 games last season, finishing with 1,272 passing yards and six passing touchdowns, along with 17 carries and one rushing touchdown. 

During Monday's practice, all four quarterbacks were getting reps. And Mayo emphasized that reporters shouldn't read into the numbers of snaps or the order of which they are going. 

"No, that won’t be indicative of what we do. I think it’s a day-by-day thing," Mayo said. "You know, you try to keep all those guys around the same rep count, but at the same time, in any given day, this guy could get 30 reps and another guy could get five. But then as we work through the week, it could kind of flip."

However, it's also been reported that the plan is to narrow the quarterback room from four to three. So it seems things are between Zappe and Joe Milton III, who the Patriots picked in the sixth round. 

Each and every snap Zappe takes in the next few months will be so important. And it's safe to say that the coaches will be watching him closely. But Mayo thinks very highly of the quarterback, so let's see what happens.