Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe and head coach Bill Belichick have moved previous handshakes.
A video went viral after the Patriots’ Week 14 win over the Steelers displaying the distinction in how Zappe celebrated with offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien and Belichick. Zappe and O’Brien slapped palms and hugged with large smiles on their faces, whereas Zappe walked as much as Belichick stonefaced to shake the pinnacle coach’s hand.
The distinction between how Zappe greeted O’Brien after which Belichick after Thursday’s win is simply so good.
O’Brien? Like he’s one of many boys.
Belichick? Like he’s Zappe’s navy father-in-law who won’t ever forgive Zappe for not asking for his blessing.
(by way of @Patriots) pic.twitter.com/7QEn0NeUvV
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) December 8, 2023
There was a noticeable distinction in a video the crew put out after Zappe led the Patriots on his first profession game-winning drive Sunday over the Broncos with Belichick and his QB smiling and hugging after the victory
I nonetheless cannot recover from this photograph pic.twitter.com/cW00pD5V3g
— Sophie Weller (@sophieewellerr) December 26, 2023
It appears that Zappe caught wind of the video after the Patriots’ win over the Steelers.
“The handshake thing, I told him when I walked in after the Broncos game, he reached out for the handshake, and I was like, ‘Coach, no more handshakes. Let’s go for a hug,’” Zappe stated Tuesday on WEEI’s “Jones and Mego” present. “So that’s kind of how that all happened.”
Zappe stated his relationship with Belichick has “definitely grown” since he was chosen within the fourth spherical of the 2022 NFL Draft.
“Me and him have always had a great relationship,” Zappe stated. “I’ve always been able to walk into his office, ask any questions, and he’s been very open to answering anything I had questions about. … It’s awesome to be coached by one of the greatest, or the greatest of all-time. I come into the building every day happy to be able to learn from him, and kind of just be a sponge, and listen to everything he has to say about the entirety of the game of football.”
Zappe is 2-2 as a starter this season after he went 2-0 as a rookie. He changed Mac Jones, who had been benched in 4 video games, because the Patriots’ beginning quarterback after Week 12. Zappe has performed significantly better as a starter than he had in aid of Jones.
Source: www.bostonherald.com