Former Patriots QB Earns Promotion With Browns

A former New England Patriots quarterback received a big promotion with the Cleveland Browns.

Nov 3, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Bailey Zappe (2) throws the ball during warm ups before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Huntington Bank Field. / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

A former New England Patriots quarterback received a big promotion this week ahead of Week 16 action.

Bailey Zappe is now playing with the Cleveland Browns and he has gone from being the team's third-string quarterback to their primary backup.

Of course, that change came after the Browns decided to bench Jameis Winston. Winston has also been dealing with a shoulder injury and has been ruled inactive for this week's game.

Not long ago, Zappe was a fan favorite for the Patriots. He had shown the potential of being a starting quarterback and was competing with Mac Jones for playing time. That hope ended quickly for Zappe when New England brought in Drake Maye.

Ahead of the 2024 NFL season, the Patriots opted to waive Zappe. He ended up landing with the Kansas City Chiefs' practice squad and spent some time there before Cleveland signed him to its active roster.

So far this season, Zappe has yet to play in a game.

In his first 14 games of his NFL career with New England, Zappe completed 63.2 percent of his pass attempts for 2,053 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He also picked up 83 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

At 25 years old, there is still a chance that Zappe could get another chance to prove himself. That chance could even come this season with the Browns depending on how the rest of the season unfolds.

It would be good to see Zappe be given another chance to play. He did show flashes of big-time potential throughout his time with the Patriots. Unfortunately, things just never lined up for him to get a consistent starting opportunity.

All of that being said, Zappe will be the primary backup this week for Cleveland and could be in line for playing time if Dorian Thompson-Robinson has to come off the field for any reason.

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