Patriots: Bill Belichick praises other two quarterbacks after Mac Jones benching
With Mac Jones' latest benching, the New England Patriots could look to the two other quarterbacks on the roster. And while Belichick declined to comment on who the starting quarterback will be, saying that they will "look at everything, all the way across the board," he only had good things to say about Bailey Zappe […]
With Mac Jones' latest benching, the New England Patriots could look to the two other quarterbacks on the roster.
And while Belichick declined to comment on who the starting quarterback will be, saying that they will "look at everything, all the way across the board," he only had good things to say about Bailey Zappe and Will Grier on Monday morning.
Zappe replaced Jones for the Patriots' final drive in Sunday's loss to the Indianapolis Colts, having also come in for him during the losses to the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints. Belichick claimed that the two appearances earlier this season were due to the score, but it was clear that Sunday's benching was due to performance.
And while Zappe did throw an interception that allowed the Colts to solidify their win, Belichick did see some things that he liked.
"Well, Bailey’s had some opportunities. I think he’s prepared well every week," Belichick told reporters. "We’ve called on him in the end of a couple games, three games, I guess it was. So, I think he stepped in and did the best he could. Was it perfect? No. Were there some positive things? Yes."
As for Grier, the Patriots signed him at the end of September from the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad. He has primarily served as the emergency third quarterback, but it could be time to give him a chance.
"Will’s certainly improving every week in terms of understanding and working with his teammates and running the scout team and executing the plays that he has the opportunity to," Belichick said. "There’s just not a lot of opportunities for the third position, which is where he’s been, but he’s taken advantage of the ones that he’s had."
The final option for the Patriots is Malik Cunningham, who is currently on the practice squad. While he has mainly been used at receiver, the undrafted rookie has showed promise and become a clear fan favorite after his strong performance during the preseason.
Regardless of the direction the Patriots go in, Jones' latest benching prove that they can no longer continue to turn to the third-year quarterback. So who will be the next player to step up?
