Bill Belichick Reveals Why He Won’t Discuss Bailey Zappe Replacing Mac Jones As Starting QB

Bill Belichick Reveals Why He Won't Discuss Bailey Zappe Replacing Mac Jones As Starting QB

Getty Image / Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald


The New England Patriots looked pretty darn good in Week 5. It was arguably the best the Patriots have played this season as they shut out the Detroit Lions 29-9 with backup quarterback Bailey Zappe replacing an injured Mac Jones and throwing for 188 yards (1 TD, 1 INT) and Rhamondre Stevenson running for 161 yards.

Kicker Nick Folk sort of stole the show going 5/5 on field goals and accounting for 17 of the Patriots’ 29 points. But with Mac Jones nursing a high ankle sprain, Bailey Zappe is currently the man in New England and Bill Belichick is okay with that but is refusing to talk about the future.

Similar to the manufactured quarterback controversy brewing in Dallas where reporters want to know if Cooper Rush will continue to start after Dak Prescott comes back, reporters want clarity on Mac Jones-Bailey Zappe. Unfortunately for anyone seeking clarity, Bill Belichick doesn’t deal in hypotheticals.

Bill Belichick reveals why he won’t discuss whether Bailey Zappe would start over Mac Jones after Mac is healthy again

During his weekly (Monday) appearance on WEEI, Bill Belichick shut down any talk about ‘what if’ because he only operates based on reality. Here’s what he had to say:

“Yeah, I’m not going to get into a lot of hypotheticals on all the different things that might or might not happen and all that. That’s just, to me, a waste of time. I’m not going to sit around here and dream up scenarios and all that. We’ll take things as they come and go from there. Obviously, Mac wasn’t active yesterday, so it wasn’t any part of any decision yesterday.”

I don’t think it’s at all crazy to say that Bailey Zappe hasn’t earned the starting role away from Mac Jones yet. He will need to really elevate his performance in the time before Mac Jones returned.

Bailey Zappe only threw for 99 yards (1 TD, 0 INT) against the Green Bay Packers on 15 pass attempts. He clearly improved against the Detroit Lions and helped his team get the win.

Patriots fans REALLY want to see Bailey become the next Tom Brady

It would be incredible of Bailey Zappe somehow seized this opportunity to become the next 20-year starter of the New England Patriots but the statistical likelihood of that happening are next to nothing. There’s only been one Tom Brady in NFL history and the chances that the same team lands the future GOAT after another (un)timely injury seems more like a Hollywood script than reality.

But that hasn’t stopped Patriots fans from joking about it on Twitter:

I’m not saying the New England Patriots don’t deserve another Tom Brady. As a Bucs fan, I can say that everyone deserves a Tom Brady on their team. It makes watching football 10,000x more enjoyable. But I think the league could use a few more years of rest before New England makes another dynasty run….