Bailey Zappe somehow has a real path to the Jets' backup QB job

We're back with another edition of our 2026 Jets Camp Countdown series, and today we are talking about the Texas Tornado, Jordon Hudson’s boyfriend’s former prized pupil, the Zap Attack, Zappe Hour himself, Bailey Zappe.

Yes, Bailey Zappe is currently on the Jets roster. And yes, there is a very real, non-zero chance he opens the season as the team’s backup quarterback.

Over the next couple of months, The Jet Press will continue breaking down a different Jets player every single day until training camp begins in July, alongside our ongoing video series over on TikTok and YouTube.

And while Zappe may not be the flashiest player on the Jets' roster, he is quietly one of the more interesting names to monitor entering camp. Mostly because the current Jets quarterback room is... not great, folks. It's not great!

1. Where Bailey Zappe stands entering Jets training camp
2. Revisiting Bailey Zappe’s NFL career to this point
3. What would make 2026 a success for Bailey Zappe
4. Previous 2026 Camp Countdown Breakdowns

Where Bailey Zappe stands entering Jets training camp

The Jets signed Zappe to a futures deal back in January after he spent the entire 2025 season on the Cleveland Browns' practice squad. Fast forward a few months, and he suddenly finds himself with a legitimate opportunity to compete for the QB2 role.

At the moment, Geno Smith is locked in as the starter, while rookie fourth-round pick Cade Klubnik and second-year quarterback Brady Cook round out the rest of this uninspiring room.

The Jets are still expected to explore veteran options before training camp begins, with Russell Wilson, Joshua Dobbs, and Cooper Rush among the remaining names available after Tyrod Taylor signed with the Green Bay Packers earlier this month.

Still, as things currently stand, Zappe is technically the most experienced backup quarterback on the roster. That has to count for something, right?

It's extremely rare for teams to enter a season with a Day 3 rookie like Klubnik as the unquestioned QB2, and while Cook remains in the mix, it's difficult to envision him seriously factoring into the backup quarterback competition entering 2026.

That leaves Zappe. Would it be the most inspiring choice? Of course not. But there is at least a logical argument for why the Jets might trust him more than the alternatives currently on the roster.

Revisiting Bailey Zappe’s NFL career to this point

Zappe entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick by the Patriots in 2022 after putting up absurd passing numbers in Western Kentucky’s high-powered offense. He immediately became a fan favorite in New England, mostly because seemingly every backup quarterback eventually becomes a fan favorite in New England.

To his credit, he wasn't terrible early on. Zappe went 2-0 as a starter as a rookie, completed over 70 percent of his passes, and threw five touchdowns compared to three interceptions during that stretch. He started eight games over two years with the Patriots, finishing with a 4-4 record while throwing 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

That's not exactly franchise-quarterback production, but it was serviceable enough for a fourth-round pick thrust into less-than-stellar situations. The bigger concern is what's happened since.

Zappe spent time with the Chiefs in the summer of 2025 before landing on the Browns' practice squad, where he remained for the entire season. Given how uninspiring Cleveland’s QB room was, the fact that Zappe never really got a legitimate opportunity probably says something about how the league currently views him.

His last regular-season appearance came in a meaningless Week 18 start against the Ravens in 2024, where he completed just 16-of-31 passes for 170 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in a 35-10 loss.

Again, not exactly encouraging. At the same time, actual NFL starting experience is not nothing, especially compared to the rest of the Jets’ current backup options.

What would make 2026 a success for Bailey Zappe

The Jets aren't asking Bailey Zappe to become a franchise quarterback. Honestly, they're likely not even asking him to become a full-time backup long-term. They're just hoping he can prove he belongs on an NFL roster again.

If Zappe can show enough in OTAs, training camp, and preseason action to convince the coaching staff he can reliably operate the offense, that alone would make 2026 a success for him.

Frank Reich has traditionally preferred confident pocket passers who can work within structure, and Zappe at least loosely fits that mold. After all, the Jets signed him to a futures deal for a reason. That suggests this coaching staff sees him as more than just another disposable camp arm.

Whether that ultimately results in a QB2 role, a QB3 spot, or a place on the practice squad remains to be seen.

Would Bailey Zappe as the Jets’ primary backup quarterback inspire much confidence? Probably not. But uninspiring and impossible aren't the same thing. There's a world where Zappe begins the season as the Jets' backup QB.

Previous editions of the Jets Camp Countdown series can be found below.

Previous 2026 Camp Countdown Breakdowns

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