Mac Jones or Zappe? Pats’ QB plan reportedly ‘remains to be seen’

Patriots

Mac Jones or Zappe? Pats’ QB plan reportedly ‘remains to be seen’

All signs point toward Mac Jones returning as the New England Patriots’ starting quarterback against the Chicago Bears on Monday night … right?

Multiple reports have indicated that Jones will be active for Monday’s Patriots-Bears game and see his first game action since suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 3. But could Bailey Zappe, who has led the Patriots to two lopsided wins in Jones’ stead, be involved in the game plan as well?

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Jones getting the start isn’t a foregone conclusion.

Curran: Mac is back and the Patriots are primed for success

“Keep in mind, Mac still has not gone through a full practice since he suffered that injury almost a month ago,” Pelissero said Monday on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.” “The Patriots are very game-plan specific; at times they can approach things in an unorthodox way, so their exact quarterback plan in this game remains to be seen.”

Former Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak added to the speculation Monday morning on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak & Bertrand,” claiming that if he had to bet right now, he’d put his money on Zappe, not Jones, getting the start vs. Chicago.

“I think the Jets game looming on the horizon on a short week, an away game, is more important,” Zolak said. “… Mac’s week is next week.”

Zolak’s take was pure opinion, but there’s some logic behind it: The Patriots will travel to New York on a short week next Sunday to play a 5-2 Jets team riding a four-game winning streak. The 2-4 Bears should be beatable regardless of who starts at QB, so if New England feels Jones isn’t 100 percent, it may make sense to either roll with Zappe as the starter or limit Jones’ playing time in some way to make sure he’s fresh for Week 8.

While Pelissero’s report hints at the possibility of Jones and Zappe splitting reps, that seems like a very unlikely approach. It’s more likely that New England is simply keeping all of its options open — perhaps to keep the Bears on their toes — even if Jones appears to be in line to make his first start since Week 3.