Patriots Place Quarterback on Injured Reserve

The Bailey Zappe era appears to have begun in New England. The New England Patriots announced Thursday afternoon that they've placed quarterback Brian Hoyer on injured reserve, rendering him unavailable for the next four weeks.

Patriots place QB Brian Hoyer on injured reserve: https://t.co/ZAEKpF8GaK
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 6, 2022

Hoyer started in the team's Week 4 27-24 loss to the Green Bay Packers in place of second-year quarterback Mac Jones. He was slammed into the turf early in the game and quickly declared out with a concussion. He was replaced by rookie fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe.

Jones suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 3's loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Initial timelines for Jones suggested he would likely miss multiple games, but he returned to practice this week and is reportedly pushing to play. The fact that he avoided IR indicates the Patriots expect him to return by Week 7. In the meantime, the Patriots' fortunes rest with Zappe.

Bailey Zappe's first career TD pass gives the @Patriots the lead!

📺: #NEvsGB on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/YPHqeLC4zg pic.twitter.com/tsVOmLA3Eq
— NFL (@NFL) October 2, 2022

Zappe joined the Patriots as their 137th pick in this year's draft after a senior season with Western Kentucky that saw him win the Conference USA Most Valuable Player award. He pitched in 75 net passing yards on 18 dropbacks and lost a fumble in relief against the Packers. Should he start, the Patriots may lean heavily on running backs Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson for their Week 5 matchup with the Detroit Lions.