The quarterback spectacle in New England appears to be over.
The Patriots are elevating quarterback Bailey Zappe from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. In a corresponding move, the team is reportedly releasing quarterback Matt Coral.
This essentially brings the Patriots back to the original depth chart that stood before things were shaken up in August.
Zappe, 24, was unexpectedly cut last month as Mac Jones remained the team's sole quarterback after the deadline. Former Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham was also cut and signed to the practice squad.
The Patriots claimed Corral off waivers to make up for the quarterback shortage. He was cut by the Carolina Panthers, who have top overall pick Bryce Young as their new starter this season. Now, Corral, a 2022 third-round pick, will look for a new team.
Zappe, a 2022 fourth-round pick out of Western Kentucky, cleared waivers without being claimed, which allowed the Patriots to re-sign him to the practice squad and bring him up to the roster Saturday.
He played in four games last season, garnering excitement from fans while he came in a for a benched Jones and won both of his starts. He passed for 781 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions in those appearances.
Jones, 25, was selected in the first round of the 2021 draft. He is entering his third season as the starter in New England. He threw for 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions as a rookie, but his 2022 campaign was a bit of a different story. He completed 65.2% of his passes for 214.1 yards per game with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 14 starts.
The Patriots are set to host the reigning NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles for their season opener on Sunday. While head coach Bill Belichick declined to commit to Jones as the 2023 starter during the offseason, the job appears to be his.