With starting quarterback Deshaun Watson now lost for the season due to a ruptured Achilles, the Cleveland Browns are adding a veteran to reshape their QB depth chart.
On Tuesday, the team signed three-year veteran Bailey Zappe to the roster off the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL network. He now joins Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Jameis Winston to help complete a new QB room in Cleveland.
Zappe has spent the first seven weeks of the season on the defending Super Bowl Champions practice squad. He entered the league in 2022 as a fourth-round draft pick of the New England Patriots in 2022, where he spent the first two years of his young career.
During his time in New England, Zappe played in 14 games, including eight starts. He made his NFL debut in a Week 4 contest against the Packers after starter Brian Hoyer was injured during the game. Zappe came in to complete 10-of-15 passes for 99 yards and a touchdown in a 27-24 loss. He made his first career start the following week against the Detroit Lions, then – ironically – took down the Browns in Week 6, throwing for 309 yards and three touchdowns.
After the stellar performance he went back to being the team's backup QB after Mac Jones returned from injury. In the following season he wound up in an open competition with Jones throughout the season, taking over for the struggling Alabama product on several occasions due to injury, before assuming the starting role in Week 13.
Zappe remained with the Patriots for most of the offseason but was waived in August, before joining the Chiefs practice squad. Now he comes to Cleveland as the team's third QB after another season-ending will cut Watson's 2024 campaign short.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski revealed that the team would be looking to sign another QB on Monday. Now it becomes official with the addition of Zappe.
