Finishing the regular season with an 8-9 record while missing the playoffs, the New England Patriots team is in great determination this year to bring back their previous glory.
The general manager of the team, Bill Belichick is under pressure to discover the best option to start at quarterback for the team. Although many consider Mac Jones to be the team’s undisputed starter, Belichick also considers Bailey Zappe as a possibility. However, it has sparked fierce competition among the players for the available place.
Can Bailey Zappe challenge Mac Jones for the Patriots’ QB position?
The New England Patriots only made one playoff appearance since the departure of seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, and the Belichicks’ team was extremely frustrated once more last season. The six-time Super Bowl champion coach has started working toward demonstrating that the team can once again be home to a contender, putting all of the losses behind them.
He originally focused on the starter position for that. Jones and Zappe are both eligible to be the starter, according to Belichick, who has been attentively observing their performances. In an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio’s Jim Miller and Pat Kirwan stated confidence and hope on both the quarterback. He believes they must be given an equal opportunity to demonstrate their qualifications for the position in order for the front office to make a selection based on their performance.
“We’ll see how those guys do when the real football starts, pads come on, there’s a little more pass rush and so forth, but they can all run the offense efficiently,” he told. “They’re all smart. They all handle what we do so that everybody else can operate efficiently. So, we’ll give them a chance to compete and see how it goes.”
Bill acknowledged, though that Jones who had a successful offseason and won the offseason award, is in the front row for the starter run.
“Mac had a good offseason. He’s one of our offseason award winners — first in, last out of the building. Really does a good job of being on top of everything we’re doing so he can lead from the quarterback position in terms of play-calling and those types of things.”
Zappe impressed the coach as a rookie in 2022 while he also revealed his interest in Trace McSorley whom they added as a backup to the roster.
“Zappe is way ahead of where he was last year, obviously, rookie going into his second year. And it’s been good to work with McSorley. He has a little bit of game experience, a little bit of NFL experience, but is still a young player,” Belichick added.
How long has Mac Jones played for the Patriots?
The quarterback from Alabama was selected by the Patriots as the 15th overall choice in the 2021 NFL Draft. Mac was the fifth QB taken in the first round and he later recorded a passer rating of 92.5 with 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in 17 games in his rookie season.
Being just the 13th quarterback in NFL history to lead his team to the postseason in Year 1, Belichick saw him as a strong leader and a glimmer of optimism from the start of his rookie campaign. His play was occasionally hindered by the high ankle injury he sustained against Baltimore in the previous season. He has 11 interceptions and 14 touchdowns during the team’s previous season.
Following Belichick’s statement, the supporters of the teams are speculating as to who the team will ultimately start. Who do you believe ought to occupy the position?
