Patriots QB Bailey Zappe shares farewell message to Bill Belichick on Instagram
"You believed in me and pushed me to become better and wiser each and everyday."
Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe was one of many past and present players in New England to bode farewell to Bill Belichick following the head coach’s departure from the organization this week.
MORE PATRIOTS
Zappe shared a photo of himself and Belichick on Instagram and wrote a goodbye message filled with thanks for his former head coach in the caption on Saturday.
“Thank you, coach! Because of you, my life long dream of playing in the NFL became a reality,” Zappe wrote. “You believed in me and pushed me to become better and wiser each and everyday. I’ve learned so much under your leadership and will carry your teachings with me for the rest of my career.”
Belichick, who spent 24 years as the Patriots’ head coach, drafted Zappe in the fourth round (137th pick) of the 2022 NFL Draft, one year after he selected quarterback Mac Jones in the first round.
Zappe saw his first game action in 2022 when he replaced the injured Brian Hoyer in Week 5 against the Green Bay Packers. The rookie was the third-stringer at the time; Jones suffered an ankle injury the previous week, prompting Hoyer to start.
Zappe got his first career start the following week versus the Detroit Lions, earning a decided 29-0 victory. He picked up another win the following week as the team’s starting play-caller, creating an interesting quarterback dynamic on the team that persists to this day.
This past season, Zappe saw six starts under center as Jones was benched due to poor play for the latter half of 2023. Zappe played in relief of Jones four times before becoming New England’s starter for the rest of the year.
Thankful for Belichick’s faith in him over the last two years with and Jones’s Patriots tenure on the verge of ending, Zappe said he believes he can be the team’s starting quarterback next season.
“Yeah, of course,” Zappe told reporters on Monday when asked if he thinks he’s earned that chance.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com