A year after drafting quarterback Bailey Zappe in Round 4 of the 2022 NFL Draught, the New England Patriots made an unexpected move, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, the deadline for clubs to cut their rosters to 53 players, the Patriots continued to shuffle their quarterback group by waiving rookie QB/WR Malik Cunningham as well, according to NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero. With the two transfers, New England now just has starter Mac Jones as its quarterback.
As a rookie for the Patriots in 2022, Zappe participated in four games, starting two of them. Against the Packers, he took over for an injured Brian Hoyer and led Green Bay to OT before losing. Zappe also started in triumphs over the Lions and Browns, and the next week, in a loss to the Bears, he took over for an ineffectual Jones. In response to his fleeting acts of valour and Jones’ problems during the Monday night game, Patriots supporters screamed “Zappe” in unison.
Even at one point in the offseason, Bill Belichick, the head coach of the Patriots, was answering inquiries about whether Zappe and Jones would face off at training camp this year. That never happened because Jones played every day as the starter throughout camp.
Journey of Zappe and Cunningham with Patriots till now
Now that Zappe will be available on the waiver wire, the NFL as a whole is likely to show interest in him. He completed 65 of 92 passes (70.7%) for 781 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions as a rookie. Zappe started more games than any other Patriots quarterback throughout the preseason, completing 30 of 51 passes (58.8%) for 253 yards and one touchdown while also taking six sacks.
In the 2022 NFL Draught, the Patriots chose Zappe 137th overall, ahead of 2023 NFL starters Sam Howell (Commanders) and Brock Purdy (49ers). Zappe’s passing prowess set school records at Houston Baptist and Western Kentucky, and in his lone season with the Hilltoppers in 2021, he set the NCAA record with 62 passing touchdowns.
Cunningham, a former wide receiver and undrafted free agent out of Louisville, joined the Patriots after graduating. In the preseason, he had a few standout plays that caught the attention of some Patriots fans, but he only completed 3 of 6 passes for 19 yards while running six times for 39 yards and one touchdown. Moreover, Cunningham caught one pass for a loss of one yard.
If Cunningham is not grabbed off the waiver wire, he might return to the Patriots’ practice squad.