New England Patriots rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe threw his first career touchdown pass in the third quarter of Sunday’s game.

Bailey Zappe : Touchdown | Stats | Contract | Number

Bailey Michael Zappe is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL).

Bailey Zappe : Touchdown | Stats | Contract | Number

Personal information
Born: April 26, 1999 (age 23)
Victoria, Texas
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight: 220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school: Victoria East
(Victoria, TX)
College:
  • Houston Baptist (2017–2020)
  • Western Kentucky (2021)
NFL Draft: 2022 / Round: 4 / Pick: 137

He played his first three seasons of college football at Houston Baptist and used his last year of eligibility at Western Kentucky, where he set the FBS season records for passing yards and passing touchdowns. Zappe was selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Zappe started nine games in his first year at Houston Baptist, passing for 1,548 yards with five touchdowns and 10 interceptions while rushing for two more touchdowns.

Touchdown 

New England Patriots rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe threw his first career touchdown pass in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers, connecting with receiver DeVante Parker on a 25-yard score.

It was the first touchdown pass thrown by a rookie in the NFL this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information research, although the Patriots appeared to catch a break when officials didn’t penalize them for delay of game.

The play clock hit zero well before the snap, with CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore saying on the broadcast that a penalty should have been called. The touchdown gave the Patriots a 17-14 lead in a game in which they were down to their third quarterback, Zappe.

Veteran Brian Hoyer started the game in place of injured Mac Jones (ankle) but was knocked out on the final play of the second offensive series due to a head injury.

Zappe, the fourth-round pick from Western Kentucky, took over from there. His emotion came out after the touchdown pass, with veteran tight end Hunter Henry wrapping him in a celebratory embrace.

Week 4 is the latest into a season that the first passing touchdown by a rookie has been thrown since 2007, when Bills rookie Trent Edwards threw the first in Week 4 against the Jets.

Bailey zappe stats

Zappe began his college career at Houston Baptist. He started nine games in his first year (2017), passing for 1,548 yards, five touchdowns and 10 interceptions while adding two TDs on the ground.

In his second season with the Huskies, Zappe completed 357-of-560 passes for 3,811 yards, 35 TDs and 15 INTs. He threw for 1,833 yards, 15 TDs and one INT in four games during a shortened 2020 campaign.

Bailey Zappe : Touchdown | Stats | Contract | Number

Zappe entered the transfer portal after the 2020 season and joined Western Kentucky. He led the FBS with 5,545 passing yards and 56 touchdowns, then added 422 more passing yards and five TDs in the 2021 Boca Raton Bowl vs. Appalachian State. He holds NCAA records for single-season passing yards (5,967) and TDs (62).

The New England Patriots selected Zappe in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, with the 137th overall pick.

He was named the third-string quarterback for the 2022 season behind starter Mac Jones and second-string backup Brian Hoyer.

After Jones suffered an ankle injury in Week 3, Zappe was promoted to the backup behind Hoyer.

After Hoyer was injured, Zappe made his debut in Week 4 against the Green Bay Packers. Zappe completed 10 of 15 passes for 99 yards and a touchdown in the 27-24 overtime loss.

Bailey zappe contract 

Zappe signed a standard four-year rookie contract worth up to $4.3 million with a $647,070 signing bonus. He carries a $866,768 cap hit in 2022.

Bailey Zappe : Touchdown | Stats | Contract | Number

Year Cap
Number
Dead Money & Cap Savings
2022 $866,768
$647,072
$219,696
2023 $1,031,768
$485,304
$546,464
2024 $1,146,768
$323,536
$823,232
2025 $1,261,768    
$161,768
$1,100,000
Total $4,307,072     

unced on Thursday that they have signed quarterback Bailey Zappe to his rookie deal. Zappe had been the last of New England’s 2022 NFL Draft class to agree to terms with the club. First-round choice Cole Strange signed his deal on Wednesday, while second-round pick Tyquan Thornton made it official with the team on Thursday.

The Patriots raised more than a few eyebrows when they selected the Western Kentucky quarterback with the 137th pick in the fourth round of the draft. At the time, Zappe’s selection gave the Pats four quarterbacks on their roster for the upcoming season.

In fact, many began to wonder whether the Patriots had squandered valuable draft capital by overindulging in a position of strength.

Number 

Zappe, 23, was a fourth-round pick by the Patriots in the 2022 NFL Draft. He played five seasons of college football, four at FCS powerhouse Houston Baptist before transferring to Western Kentucky to finish his career.

Bailey Zappe : Touchdown | Stats | Contract | Number

  • Number  : 4 New England Patriots / Quarterback

Zappe was prolific during his lone year with the Hilltoppers. He found a lot of success in Western Kentucky’s pass-happy, spread offense, and he set several FBS passing records, completing 69.2 percent of his passes for an NCAA-record 5,967 yards, 62 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions.

Zappe’s success at Western Kentucky put him on many draft boards. The 6-1, 215-pound quarterback was a hyper-accurate passer who demonstrated good decision-making on tape.

While there were some questions about his overall arm strength and how long it would take him to transition to a pro-style offense, he did enough to establish himself as a mid-round prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft.

The Patriots selected Zappe and seemed to eye him as a long-term backup and insurance policy behind Jones. They gave him plenty of action during the preseason, and he threw for 464 yards — good for the fourth-most in the NFL — in three games but recorded just one touchdown and three interceptions.

Now, he is getting his first regular-season action against a 2-1 Green Bay squad.

By Rishabh

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