The Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe debate has been a common one among New England Patriots fans. However, the team might view things a bit differently.
Zappe burst onto the scene from Western Kentucky when Jones was injured at the beginning of last season. He threw for 781 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions. He took the Green Bay Packers to overtime on October 2 in the same game that he threw his first touchdown pass. The rookie quarterback then put together a solid performance against the Cleveland Browns a couple weeks later. He went 24-of-34 on the afternoon for 309 passing yards and two touchdowns.
Fans began to view Zappe as a legitimate starting option for the Patriots, putting Jones in a difficult situation. However, the team did not tip their hand either way.
In the meantime, during an appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak and Bertrand,” the MMQB’s Albert Breer claimed that he believes New England could trade away Jones if the price is right, as transcribed by NBC Sports Boston’s Justin Leger.
“I think they would,” Breer said. “Internally, I don’t know if they see this massive gap between Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe. I’m not saying they think Bailey’s as good as Mac, but there was some element of Bailey doing what he was coached to do last year that I think gave Bailey the edge to some degree for a little while there.
“So I think it’ll be interesting to see what would happen if a real offer came along. I don’t think a real offer is going to come along, but it’d be interesting to see what would happen if a real offer did come along.”
A quarterback battle could be an interesting storyline to watch, as Jones looks to bounce back in his third season. One has to wonder how small the gap really is between the two, as the Patriots look to get back into playoff contention.
