While Shedeur Sanders will make the headlines for the Cleveland Browns this week as the team’s new QB1, a former New England Patriots quarterback will wait right behind him in the wings.
That’s Bailey Zappe, who provided a spark numerous times for the Patriots before his career regressed in 2023. Zac Jackson of The Athletic reported on Wednesday that the Browns are expected to move Zappe into the QB2 spot behind Sanders, who will make his first career start on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders.
A former fourth-round pick by the Patriots in 2022 out of Western Kentucky, Zappe made an impression as a backup behind former starter Mac Jones in 2022. Zappe started two games that season, and he went 2-0 as he completed 70.7% of his passes for 781 yards and five touchdowns versus three interceptions in four game appearances overall.
That also sparked a quarterback controversy for former head coach Bill Belichick heading into the 2023 season since Jones struggled, and Zappe played so efficiently. Ultimately, Jones, a former No. 15 pick, kept the starting job ahead of the 2023 season, and Zappe remained the backup.
Zappe still got another chance in 2023 when Jones flamed out, as the Patriots went 4-13 for the first of two consecutive seasons. Things didn’t work for Zappe as went 2-4 in six starts as he completed 59.9% of his passes for 1,272 yards and six touchdowns versus nine picks.
Bailey Zappe Has Hardly Seen the Field Since New England
New England waived Zappe in August 2024 under former head coach Jerod Mayo, as the Patriots turned to a new-look quarterback room that year with rookie Drake Maye and veteran Jacoby Brissett. Zappe then signed with the Kansas City Chiefs‘ practice squad, and he never saw the field in 2024.
Kansas City signed Zappe to a one-year contract of $1.1 million in March this year. Zappe didn’t last, as the Chiefs cut him in August. The Browns then picked him up for the practice squad just three days later with a one-year contract of $985,000. Zappe made one start in 2024 as he completed 51.6% of his passes for 170 yards and a touchdown versus a pick in a loss.
For Zappe, moving up to the No. 2 spot is a significant opportunity to rejuvenate his career, especially if Sanders goes down at any point. Injuries have been a problem for the Browns at quarterback all year, which goes back to training camp.
Bailey Zappe’s Rise Comes Amid Messy QB Situation in Cleveland
Kenny Pickett dealt with injuries before the Browns dealt him to the Philadelphia Eagles for a fifth-round pick. Rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel took over after the Browns traded veteran Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals, but Gabriel went down with a concussion in Week 11.
That made the way for Sanders, a highly-touted star out of Colorado and the son of former NFL great and Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. who coaches the Buffaloes. Shedeur Sanders looked primed to be a first-round pick for a quarterback-needy team, but he slid down the draft board to the fifth round when the Browns took him after Gabriel.
Sanders showed promise in his preseason debut against the Carolina Panthers, but he faltered when he replaced Gabriel against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Sanders went 4-16 for 47 yards and a pick.
However long he and Zappe remain the top-two quarterbacks on the Browns’ depth chart, both have a lot on the line for their young careers on Sunday and beyond this season, despite the Browns’ dismal 2-8 record.
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