Patriots Waive Bailey Zappe

The New England Patriots waived backup quarterback Bailey Zappe in a surprising move on Tuesday, according to a source. With the Patriots also waiving Malik Cunningham on roster-cutdown day, Mac Jones is now the team's only signal-caller on the roster with the 2023 regular season starting next week. However, the Patriots are hoping to get both Zappe and Cunningham back on their practice squad if they clear waivers. There was some early offseason talk about Zappe potentially competing with Jones for the starting gig in training camp this summer, but that never came to fruition and New England is fully committed to helping Jones bounce back after a disastrous offensive showing in 2022. In four games (two starts) in his first NFL season last year, Zappe went 65-for-92 for 781 yards, five touchdowns and three picks.