Bailey Zappe is on his third NFL team in as many seasons, but he is used to being the underdog. Will the collegiate star make a name for himself on the biggest stage?
Where Did Bailey Zappe Go to College?
Despite generating 7,011 passing yards, 79 passing TDs, 871 rushing yards, and 18 rushing TDs in his last two seasons at Texas’ Victoria East High School, Zappe received little recruiting fanfare.
As a result, he began his career at FCS-level Houston Baptist, his only scholarship offer. It’s not as if Zappe provided the doubters wrong right away, either. He started nine games as a true freshman, completing just 56% of his passes for 1,548 yards, five TDs, and 10 INTs.
However, Zappe began to find his stride as a sophomore, earning an All-Southland Conference honorable mention after amassing 2,812 yards (tied for most in the conference) and 23 TDs to 13 picks. Additionally, the Texas native set program records for single-game completions (32), attempts (54), and yards (348).
But all of that pales in comparison to what Zappe did in 2019.
Officially finding his groove in offensive coordinator Zach Kittley’s offense, Zappe unleashed 3,811 yards, a nation-leading 35 TDs, and 15 INTs in 12 games. He led the SoCon and ranked second in the country with 317.6 yards per game and led the FCS in completions (29.7) and attempts (46.7) per game.
But wait, there’s more! He rest his own single-game records with 49 completions, 69 attempts, 513 yards, and five TDs, the latter two of which came in a thrilling 53-52 upset victory over South Dakota.
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Due to the pandemic, Houston Baptist’s 2020 campaign was reduced to just four games — Zappe took advantage of each. He completed 65% of his passes for 1,833 yards, 15 TDs, and just one INT, earning SoCon Player of the Year recognition.
Yet, arguably Zappe’s greatest achievement came in a near 35-33 upset loss against the Texas Tech Red Raiders, as he broke the NCAA record for most passing yards by an FCS QB against an FBS opponent (567).
With one final season of eligibility remaining, Zappe followed Kittley and three of his WRs to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. And as they say, the rest is history — literally.
Zappe finished his Houston Baptist career with 10,004 passing yards and 78 TDs. In his lone FBS season, he rewrote the single-season record books with passing yards (5,967) and TDs (62).
After one of the most prolific college football careers, Zappe was invited to the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine, where he showed enough for the New England Patriots to select him 137th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. He was the fifth QB selected of nine and began his NFL journey as the franchise’s third-string signal-caller.
In Week 4 against the Green Bay Packers, Zappe was thrust onto the field after starter Mac Jones and QB2 Brian Hoyer suffered injuries. He completed 10 of 15 passes for 99 yards and a score in his debut, becoming the first rookie to throw a TD pass on the year.
Zappe made his starting debut the following week against the Detroit Lions and once again impressed, going 17 of 21 for 188 yards, one TD, and one pick in a 29-0 shutout victory.
As is customary with Zappe, he set a new precedent just one week later with a win over the Cleveland Browns, becoming the Super Bowl era’s first rookie QB to win his first two starts and have a passer rating of over 100 in each.
However, once Jones returned from injury, Zappe had to hand the keys of the offense back. He received several more starts toward the end of the 2023 season, but the Pats ultimately waived Zappe in August 2024.
Since then, he served on the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad and was signed to the Cleveland Browns’ active roster due to Deshaun Watson’s season-ending Achilles injury.
Zappe will become the Browns’ 40th starting QB since 1999 when he takes the field against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, Jan. 4. While he’s not expected to win — Cleveland is a -20.5 underdog — he’s used to being overlooked.
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