The Kansas City Chiefs will likely be in the market for a new third quarterback after the Cleveland Browns poached Bailey Zappe off the KC practice squad on the morning of October 22, according to reporting from NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero.
“A new QB in Cleveland: The Browns are signing Bailey Zappe off the Chiefs practice squad, per sources,” Pelissero informed on Tuesday of Week 8. “With Deshaun Watson’s season over and Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s status in flux, Jameis Winston could start Sunday vs. Baltimore and Zappe would back him up.”
This news comes after Watson suffered a ruptured Achilles on October 20, with backup Thompson-Robinson also suffering a finger injury after taking his place. As Pelissero noted, Zappe will join the Browns’ active roster immediately, giving them a healthy backup quarterback for Week 8 against the Ravens.
The 25-year-old Zappe only joined the Chiefs just after the 53-man deadline this August. He beat out roster cuts Chris Oladokun and Ian Book — who had been competing for the third quarterback role throughout training camp and the preseason — for a spot on the practice squad despite never playing a snap for Kansas City.
Selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Zappe briefly took over for Mac Jones as the Pats’ second attempt at developing a new franchise quarterback after Tom Brady.
He went 2-0 as a rookie, completing 70.7% of passes with a 5 touchdown/3 interception ratio and a passer rating of 100.9, but struggled to replicate those numbers in year two throwing for a 59.9% completion percentage with 9 interceptions and a passer rating of 68.7. Zappe was 2-4 over his final six starts with the Patriots.
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