New England Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe doesn't seem to mind that Mac Jones' time in New England is over. On Sunday, CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones confirmed the Patriots agreed to trade their former top-15 draft pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a sixth-round pick. The league posted the news on social media, and drew Zappe's approval as he liked the post, making it certainly seem like he's on board with the trade.
Welp. pic.twitter.com/p6XysTAn9u
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) March 10, 2024
Jones, meanwhile, will now back up Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence in his hometown of Jacksonville.
The Patriots struggled with Jones last season, going 2-9 with him as a starter. The struggles led to Zappe taking over as the starter and eventually Jones was demoted to emergency quarterback for the season finale. Jones finished with a 8-17 record in the last two seasons as a starter.
New England's quarterback situation reportedly got so "toxic" that Zappe would watch film in the wide receivers room, rather than be in the quarterback room as a rookie. On top of not putting together a string of wins, there was also little communication between Jones and then-head coach Bill Belichick.
The Patriots have a new head coach in Jarod Mayo and will have a new starting quarterback as well. While Mayo could have kept Jones around and picked up his fifth-year option, it always seemed more likely that No. 10 would be out the door shortly after how sour things got in 2023.
Zappe isn't the Patriots' answer going forward as a starter. He went 2-4 in his six starts last season, with a 59.9 completion percentage, 1,272 passing yards, six touchdowns and nine interceptions, and will likely be a backup for whoever the team brings in next.
The Patriots currently have the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and could use that selection to get a quarterback -- one who doesn't get taken at No. 1 and No. 2. They could also bring in a veteran signal-caller, like Baker Mayfield or Joe Flacco, to add some experience to the position.
