Patriots Reportedly Cut Bailey Zappe In Surprise Roster Move

The phenomenon known as “Zappe Fever” came to an unexpected end Tuesday.

The New England Patriots waived backup quarterback Bailey Zappe during the final round of roster cuts, according to a report from NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.

Zappe struggled in training camp and the preseason and never came close to challenging Mac Jones for the starting job, but his release still was a surprise. The 2022 fourth-round pick won over legions of Patriots fans during his stint as an injury fill-in for Jones last season, steering New England to wins in each of his first two NFL starts.

For the next several months, head coach Bill Belichick refused to publicly declare Jones the starter, fueling speculation that Zappe could challenge him for the top job ahead of the 2023 season. That never happened, as Zappe almost exclusively repped with New England’s backups during the spring and summer.

The Western Kentucky product played nearly wire to wire in last Friday’s preseason finale, surrounded by bottom-of-the-roster players. He went 8-for-15 for 57 yards, took four sacks and fumbled three times, losing one.

Zappee now will hit the waiver wire, where any team will have a chance to claim the 24-year-old. If unclaimed, the Patriots could choose to sign him to their practice squad.

The Patriots also reportedly waived undrafted rookie quarterback/wide receiver Malik Cunningham on Tuesday. With Trace McSorley cut earlier in the week, those moves left Jones as the only QB on New England’s roster.

MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian reported the Patriots hope to bring both Zappe and Cunningham back on the P-squad. They’ll also need to find another backup for Jones through a trade, waiver-wire pickup or free agent signing. Longtime second-stringer Colt McCoy, who was released by the Arizona Cardinals this week, is one obvious candidate.