Patriots

Playing quarterback for the Patriots is ‘still surreal’ for Bailey Zappe

The rookie quarterback might be the team's starter for Monday Night Football.

Bailey Zappe during the Patriots' win over the Lions. AP Photo/Charles Krupa

October 19, 2022

For years, Bailey Zappe has been making the most of whatever football opportunities he could get his hands on.

He spent the first three years of his college football career at the FCS level, playing for Houston Baptist, the only school to offer him a scholarship.

His next stop was Western Kentucky, where he threw for 62 touchdowns and completed nearly 70 percent of his passes in his only season with the Hilltoppers.

Now, with Mac Jones recovering from a high-ankle sprain, there’s a chance Zappe could make his first appearance on Monday Night Football next week against the Bears.

“Of course, I had a little confidence that I’d be able to make it in myself,” Zappe said. “But for me it’s still surreal to be in this position and be in the NFL, be a quarterback in the NFL. I don’t think it would ever come to me that I’m playing in the NFL. I still think I’ll always take advantage of every day and live this dream that I’ve had since I was five.”

There’s been a little bit of a learning curve for Zappe, who is still figuring out the offense, but he’s managed the games well. He’s shown that he’s capable of helping New England beat mediocre teams like the Lions and Browns.

And he’s looking more comfortable doing it each week.

“I think for me it’s still the same mentally the way I approach it,” Zappe said. “I still study the game plan the same way I would whether you said I was third string or a starter. That’s kind of the mentality that I take into it every week. That’s the mentality I’m going to take into this week. I think that’s going to carry on throughout the rest of the year.”

He’s played well enough that it’s now unclear what Bill Belichick will do going forward. Belichick said Monday that he plans to see exactly what he has with Jones and that he’ll make the call when it’s time.

Belichick repeated, as he often does, that he won’t get into hypotheticals about the situation. He hasn’t said whether Jones will be the starter or not when he returns.

Still, Zappe says that he’s been able to get useful advice from Jones.

“He’s helped a lot,” Zappe said of Jones. “Of course, he’s been in the league for a whole other year above me. I’ve been able to pick his brain. I’ve been able to ask him questions, and he’s been giving me great feedback answering them. He’s a lot of help.”

Zappe, who said after Sunday’s game that he wasn’t named the starter against the Browns until the day before, says he’s continuing to prepare this week the same way he has all season.

The rookie quarterback says he can’t remember the first time he watched Monday Night Football. This week, he has a chance to be in it.

“It’s a great environment. It’s primetime football,” said Zappe.