FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Second-year quarterback Bailey Zappe and undrafted rookie free agent quarterback Malik Cunningham, both of whom were waived by the New England Patriots on Tuesday in moves that left starter Mac Jones as the only quarterback on the roster, are re-signing with the team's practice squad, sources told ESPN.
Coach Bill Belichick took an unconventional approach of exposing both quarterbacks to waivers, with the hope they would ultimately return on the practice squad.
At the same time, Belichick has regularly said that anytime the team exposes a player to waivers it is prepared to lose him, so the decision reflects the view of the coaching staff of a sizable gap between Jones and the next player on the depth chart.
The Patriots could still consider the possibility of adding another quarterback, per a source, but now have flexibility to elevate Zappe as a No.