The Cleveland Browns are set to start former Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 18 amid the injury crisis. The 25-year-old will become the team’s 40th starting QB — the highest in the NFL — since they returned to Cleveland in 1999.
Deshaun Watson was sidelined in October owing to an Achilles injury, and his backup, Jameis Winston, is struggling with a shoulder injury. This leaves coach Kevin Stefanski with Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailey Zappe as his two quarterback options. The latter will make his first start of the season for the Browns.
When Was Bailey Zappe Drafted?
The New England Patriots picked Zappe on the third day of the 2022 NFL Draft. He was drafted in the fourth round as the 137th overall pick. Bailey did enough damage in his only year with Western Kentucky to get the Patriots’ attention. Representing WKU, he charted 5,967 yards, 62 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
Before WKU, Zappe played in the Football Championship Subdivision and led the Houston Baptist Huskies’ offense. He bagged 10,004 passing yards, delivering 78 touchdown passes and 29 career picks.
Zappe’s NFL Career So Far
Bailey was the Patriots’ third-string quarterback in his debut season (2022) in the NFL, behind Mac Jones and Brian Hoyer. He stepped onto the gridiron for the first time in Week 4 following the injuries of Jones and Hoyer.
The Texas native made four appearances, twice as a starter, and racked up 781 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions.
Before the 2023-24 season, the Patriots let go of Zappe during roster cuts. However, he was signed to the practice squad the next day and then to the active roster. He made six starts in 10 total appearances that season. He recorded 1,272 yards, six touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
The Patriots parted ways with Zappe for good in August 2024. He was signed to the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad. The Browns acquired him on Oct. 22, 2024, after Deshaun Watson’s Achilles tear.
Bailey will make his debut for the Browns this Saturday.
Browns QB Depth Chart in 2024
The Browns kick-started the 2024-25 NFL season with Deshaun Watson as their starting quarterback. But the 29-year-old got injured in October, and Jameis Winston took the lead. Stefanski put Winston and Thompson-Robinson on the field in Watson’s absence.
Winston has a sore shoulder and has sat out the past couple of clashes. The Browns have turned to Bailey Zappe, their October signing, to take the field against the Ravens.
The Browns’ quarterback room has struggled this season. Based off PFN’s proprietary QB+ metric, Winston led the Browns with a D grade (66.5), while Deshaun Watson finished with the worst grade (F, 45.1 grade) in the 2024 database. Thompson-Robinson did not have enough qualifying snaps for a grade, but the box score and eye test left a lot to be desired.