Who Should I Start? Bailey Zappe or Hendon Hooker

Sunday, June 23, 1:35 PM

Toward the end of organized team activities this offseason, New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye overtook Bailey Zappe as the team's No. 2 QB behind veteran Jacoby Brissett. Nothing about that comes off as surprising, but with sixth-rounder Joe Milton III also in the fold in New England, is seems that Zappe's days with the team could be close to over. To earn the No. 3 job this year, Zappe would have to drastically outplay Milton, which didn't happen during spring workouts. The Patriots also have Nathan Rourke competing for a roster spot this summer. The most likely scenario at this point is that the 25-year-old Zappe is traded away to a team with more of a need for quarterback depth once training camp and the preseason begin.

Monday, May 27, 4:28 PM

Detroit Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker was rumored to be a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft in the middle of his stellar final season at Tennessee in 2022. However, he suffered a late-season ACL tear and was ultimately a third-round selection by Detroit. Teddy Bridgewater was Jared Goff's primary backup last season, while Hooker spent most of his debut campaign on the Injured Reserve list. With Bridgewater announcing his retirement this offseason, the 26-year-old is set to move into the QB2 role in 2024. So far at OTAs, the reviews have been promising. "It was fun watching Hendon Hooker sling it in a team setting for the very first time," Colton Pouncy of The Athletic wrote. "Really nice touch on his deep ball. Good velocity. One of his best plays of the day was a deep ball down the right sideline to Daurice Fountain, which drew "oooohs" and "aaahhs" from the team." After Goff signed a four-year extension to remain with the organization, Hooker's narrow path to the starting job closed. However, he can be stashed in deep Superflex or two-QB leagues. If Goff had to miss any time due to injury, the 26-year-old sophomore would have intriguing upside thanks to his rushing ability and pass-catching group headlined by Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta.