Patriots coach Bill Belichick declined this offseason to name Mac Jones the starter over Bailey Zappe. So there may . . . or may not be a competition for the starting job for 2023.
Zappe is ready to compete if given the chance.
“If my opportunity presents itself, I’m going to take full advantage of it,” the Patriots’ second-year quarterback said Wednesday at a youth football clinic, via Bob Socci of 98.5 The Sports Hub. “I’m going to do everything I can to help the team win.
“That’s really all I can say from that standpoint. That’s coach Belichick’s decision; whatever he decides. But if the opportunity presents itself, I’m going to be ready and take advantage of it.”
In the four games he played, including two starts when Jones was injured, Zappe became a fan favorite and even won over some Patriots players, according to retired safety Devin McCourty. Zappe won both of his starters and had a 100.9 passer rating for the season with five touchdowns and three interceptions.
That created a quarterback controversy that Belichick fueled with his comments at the annual owners meeting, saying “everybody will get a chance to play, and we’ll play the best players.”
Jones has done nothing to earn the starting job without a competition, so the battle likely commences next week when the Patriots begin their offseason program.
