Mac Jones starts, Bailey Zappe enters in second quarter on MNF vs. Bears

Update — Well, Schefter was right. Thought it’s still to be seen if it was his report or just Jones struggling again. Zappe is in at QB in the second quarter with the Patriots trailing 10-0 at home vs. the Bears on MNF. Jones had completed just three passes on six attempts for 13 yards and an INT before being yanked.

It’s never a dull moment around the post-Tom Brady New England Patriots. The quarterback room has a bit of a controversy and now it appears Bill Belichick is mixing things up even further. Both Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe could take snaps under center on Monday Night Football vs. the Chicago Bears in Week 7, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Jones was previously injured but cleared to return and start. Zappe had played great in place of Jones at QB, sparking many to question who should start.

Who the hell knows how this will play out and impact fantasy football/betting lines. The Patriots are big home favorites at -8.5 on the spread on DraftKings Sportsbook. Honestly, Zappe getting snaps may be beneficial, particularly if Jones starts and struggles. In parts of three games, Zappe threw for 596 yards, four TDs and one INT, good for an 111.4 passer rating. He’s led New England to back-to-back wins over the Lions and Browns leading into this game.

Zappe spread it around last week with four different receivers having at least 60 yards, plus five players with at least four targets. It worked out well with the balance of the passing game and running game, which accounted for three TDs.

The Pats had lost two of three games to start the season before Jones was injured. He was not playing well, throwing for under 800 yards with two TDs and five INTs through those games.