Bailey Zappe is poised for his own Mac Jones moment

The most popular player on the roster, as any New York Jets fan knows wholeheartedly, is the backup quarterback.

Geno Smith knows that fact well, having experienced it multiple times during his first Jets stint. With Smith now entrenched as the Week 1 starter, that leaves Bailey Zappe or Brady Cook as the next fan favorite.

Zappe reportedly has the upper hand on the Jets’ backup job, which could be excellent news for both himself and his bank account.

All it takes is one injury for Bailey Zappe to become the NFL’s next intriguing journeyman

Pull up a list of the NFL quarterback depth charts, and you’ll spot some familiar names who have turned their careers around as backups.

Mac Jones garnered trade attention this offseason after a fine job filling in for Brock Purdy last year. Smith changed the entire trajectory of his career when Russell Wilson got hurt in 2021, and Sam Darnold did the same with the Vikings in 2024.

None of this is a guarantee that Zappe, a 2022 Patriots fourth-round pick, is destined to enjoy the same success.

The idea is nonetheless worth considering, especially given that Zappe is still only 27 years old. Darnold was the same age when JJ McCarthy’s knee injury forced him into the Vikings’ starting role two years ago.

Granted, Darnold was a former No. 3 pick, whereas Zappe owns a career 12-14 TD-INT ratio in 15 games and nine starts.

It absolutely remains entirely possible that Zappe’s ceiling is as a mid-level backup, someone like a Drew Lock or Trevor Siemian. Those are the guys who show up in a November blowout and make you realize they’re still in the league.

Or, Zappe could remain someone who bounces around practice squads, as he’s done the last two years with the Browns and Chiefs.

There is always that chance, though, that Zappe is next up to position himself for a significant pay raise next offseason.

Smith has quietly become one of the league’s most durable quarterbacks, starting 64 of a possible 68 games the last four years.

If the Jets get to December and they’re well out of the playoff picture, perhaps we’ll see fourth-round rookie Cade Klubnik get his chance. But if Smith goes down at any point, it sounds like Zappe will take over at quarterback.

From there, as Zappe saw with his former teammate Jones, the rest is in his hands.

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