FOXBORO, Mass. – Throughout OTAs, it has been clear that Mac Jones looks to be the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots, with Bailey Zappe right behind him.

Yet the relationship between the two quarterbacks heading into the 2023 season was some what of a mystery after the events that played out last season. 

In Week 3, Jones suffered an ankle injury and Zappe was came in for him. Across the three games Zappe started, he performed well for the Patriots, nearly leading the Patriots to victory over Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in Week 4, followed by back-to-back wins the following weeks against the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns. 

His strong showing left people cheering for the backup quarterback, and in Week 7 after Jones had a struggling performance in his return, he was benched for Zappe. 

While it was Jones who finished out the season as the starter following that game, the fandom for Zappe was sure to mess with Jones' head. 

However, when speaking with reporters following Friday's OTA session, it appears that the situation from last year is behind them and there is no bad feelings between the two quarterbacks. 

"We’re teammates. We’re together all day, every day in the QB room together. These last two years, I feel like both of us have been able to help each other to get better on and off the field. ,” Zappe said. “I’ve learned a lot from him and, hopefully, I’m kind of helping out with him. Trying to help him learn some stuff. But we’re teammates, we want what’s best for the team and that’s to win."

As is natural with every professional athlete, Zappe is a competitor and that includes going for the starting role. Yet, based on the way OTAs have gone, it appears Jones has the spot locked up. 

"Like Coach Bill (Belichick) said at the beginning of the offseason, everybody’s competing for a spot,” Zappe said. “So, that’s the way I’m approaching it. Like I said earlier, I’m taking every rep like a game rep. So, trying to get better every day.”

Zappe finished the 2022 season with 65 completions (70.7%) for 781 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions across four games. 

“I look at those games a lot during this past offseason. Seeing some of the things I did right, some of the things I did wrong. Fixing the things I did wrong and improving,” Zappe said. “Just continue to learn from experiences.”

While using his experiences to grow, Zappe has spent much of the offseason training in an effort to get better. 

“I guess you attack every offseason the same way,” Zappe said. “I’m just taking advantage of every rep I get, no matter what group it’s with, no matter when it is. Every rep to me I treat like a game rep.”

While Jones and Zappe seem to have a set spot on the team, the new NFL rule that allows for teams to have a third quarterback active on game days without using a roster spot leaves the question of who will join this duo.