The Patriots will be without starting quarterback Mac Jones for another week.
New England's official injury report Friday listed Jones (ankle) as doubtful for the team's Week 5 matchup with the Lions. Jones, who was hurt in Week 3 against the Ravens, logged three limited practices this week but the Pats are preparing to have their Pro Bowl quarterback sidelined again.
With veteran backup Brian Hoyer going on injured reserved this week after a serious hit forced him out of last week's game against the Packers, the Patriots will hand the keys of the offense back to rookie Bailey Zappe.
Zappe will be making his first career start Sunday, just one week after he made his NFL debut filling in for Hoyer and nearly leading the Patriots to an overtime victory in Green Bay.
Here's a breakdown of what the Patriots' quarterback depth chart looks like with Jones and Hoyer on the shelf.
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Patriots QB depth chart
The Patriots have two quarterbacks on their depth chart going into their Week 5 matchup with the Lions.
1. Bailey Zappe
Zappe made his NFL debut against the Packers last week, coming in after Hoyer was removed from the game in the first quarter under the NFL concussion protocol.
The fourth-round rookie was serviceable in his first real game action. He kept New England competitive in Lambeau Field against an all-time great in Aaron Rodgers. The Patriots led 3-0 when Zappe entered, and he withstood five lead changes and two ties to get the game to overtime before Green Bay secured the win with a field goal as time expired.
Zappe completed 10 of 15 passes for 99 yards and a touchdown in his debut. He will look to build on that performance in his starting debut Sunday.
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2. Garrett Gilbert
New England signed Gilbert to its practice squad after Hoyer hit injured reserve and left Zappe as the only healthy quarterback on the roster,
Gilbert was with Josh McDaniels and the Raiders when the Patriots scooped him up, and he has had two stints with New England in the past. He was on the Patriots' practice squad as recently as last season until he was signed by Washington.
Gilbert was selected by the Rams in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He has played for the Panthers, Browns, Cowboys and Commanders. He has logged eight career appearances, completing 57.3 percent of his passes for 477 total yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Emergency QB: Jakobi Meyers, WR
When Hoyer went down last week, Zappe was the only healthy QB on the roster. Even the Patriots' emergency quarterback, Meyers, was not dressed for the contest because of a lingering hamstring injury.
Meyers was recruited as a quarterback in college. He was listed on N.C. State's football roster as a QB during his redshirt freshman and freshman seasons. He eventually switched to wide receiver, but the Patriots haven't been shy about expanding the playbook and letting Meyers throw the ball.
Meyers is 4 for 4 on pass attempts in his NFL career, throwing for 88 yards and two touchdowns.
He has missed New England's last two games with the hamstring injury but is listed as questionable for Week 5 after logging three limited practices this week.
If he is available for Sunday, he would serve as the de facto third-string quarterback.
