The New England Patriots have waived quarterbacks Bailey Zappe and Malik Cunningham, according to league sources. Here’s what you need to know:
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Patriots only carried one quarterback on their roster: Mac Jones. This should change in the coming days.
Zappe, the Patriots’ 2022 fourth-round pick, played in four games with two starts as Jones dealt with injuries. The Patriots went 2-0 with Zappe as the starting quarterback.
Cunningham came to New England this offseason as an undrafted rookie from Louisville.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Zappe’s release a surprise
This one is a shocker. Zappe was clearly a step behind starting quarterback Jones throughout training camp and the preseason. But that, it seemed, would make him the No. 2 quarterback instead of someone pushing for the starting job.
Instead, Zappe is gone altogether.
The Pats just drafted Zappe in the fourth round last season. He won both games he started for them last season in place of an injured Jones. There were even open questions this offseason about whether he’d get the chance to compete with Jones for the starting job, ones Bill Belichick didn’t shoot down. Now, after a bad training camp, Zappe is looking for a new job.
