The New England Patriots are staring at a serious quarterback controversy with Mac Jones returning after his injury.
According to Mike Reiss of ESPN, Jones is expected to be ready for the Patriots Monday Night Football matchup against the Chicago Bears after being out for nearly a month with a high ankle sprain.
News story: QB Mac Jones expects to be available Monday night vs. the Bears, per sources, with a final hurdle to be cleared this week in practice. https://t.co/zwdDLgumzM
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 20, 2022
The question that head coach Bill Belichick now faces is whether or not the backup, Bailey Zappe, earned a permanent spot as starting QB position in Jones’ absence.
The last Patriots fans saw of Mac Jones, he had just thrown his third interception, which sealed the deal for the visiting Baltimore Ravens to defeat New England 37-26. As he turned the football over, Jones simultaneously sprained his ankle. Even before the fiasco that ended with him being carried off the field, Jones hadn’t looked good to start out the new season. In three games, the Jones had a losing record, throwing more interceptions than he did touchdowns.
Jones made the Pro Bowl for the 2021 season after other quarterbacks in the conference dropped out.
Since Zappe took over, the Patriots have yet to lose a game and have managed to get their season back on track. In the two victories to which Zappe led the team, he threw the football for four touchdowns and just one interception. It certainly feels like the team has played better under Zappe than it did with Jones.
This quarterback predicament is reminiscent of the Super Bowl season the Patriots had back in 2001. New England entered the season with Drew Bledsoe as their quarterback. But after an injury and a 1-3 start, their backup at the time, Tom Brady, came in and guided the Patriots to their first ever Super Bowl title. The rest was history once Belichick decided to roll with the backup.
Comparing Bailey Zappe to Tom Brady is a stretch considering how Brady turned out to be the greatest quarterback to ever play the game, but otherwise the situations couldn’t be any more similar. (RELATED: Mississippi State University Football Player Sam Westmoreland Dies At Age 18)
There’s a chance history might repeat itself. Bill Belichick should seize that chance and name Bailey Zappe the starting quarterback for New England come Monday night.