Is there a legitimate quarterback debate in New England? Depends on who you ask.
Our Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry are among many who believe Mac Jones will be the Patriots' QB1 when he's fully recovered from his ankle injury. But there's a small (and vocal) contingent that thinks rookie Bailey Zappe should keep the starting job after winning back-to-back games by a combined score of 67-15.
Apparently Julian Edelman is on Team Zappe.
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Curran: QB controversy? Not if Mac Jones is who we think he is
The former Patriots wide receiver shared his bold take Tuesday on Paramount Plus' "Inside The NFL," laying out why Zappe is the better option than even a slightly-limited Jones.
"If (Zappe) continues to play the way he's playing right now, he has to be the starter," Edelman said. "Mac Jones will be coming off a high-ankle sprain. His strength in the pocket is his ability to move. If he can't stick his foot in the ground, he can't plant off his foot, there's gonna be some deficiencies. And Zappe matched Mac's best game last year on the road against the Cleveland Browns, getting a win."
It's remarkable that we've gotten to this point in the Patriots QB discussion considering Zappe entered the season third on New England's depth chart. The 23-year-old rookie only got the chance to play after backup Brian Hoyer left the team's Week 4 game against the Green Bay Packers with a head injury, but he's made the most of his opportunity, completing 72.9 percent of his passes with a sterling 111.4 passer rating to lead the Patriots to a 29-0 rout of the Detroit Lions and a 38-15 thrashing of the Cleveland Browns.
Zappe has benefited from multiple factors, notably two subpar opponents and the vastly-improved play of the Patriots' offensive line. Jones is still the more talented quarterback, and you could make the case he would have performed just as well as Zappe (if not better) over the last two weeks if healthy.
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But to Edelman's point, Jones' injury could impact his performance. Pro Football Focus' Doug Kyed reported Wednesday that Jones' ankle is about "85 to 90 percent" recovered, but if that limits his mobility in the pocket, then perhaps a more healthy Zappe is the better option against the Chicago Bears on Monday night.