In brief
What did the Jets do?
New York signed quarterback Bailey Zappe to a reserve/future contract on January 12, 2026 — a one-year, non-guaranteed deal that carries no cap charge this season and secures him a place on the 90-man offseason roster. It is a depth signing, not a solution: Zappe spent 2025 on the Cleveland Browns practice squad and arrives as a camp arm while the Jets sort out a quarterback room that is about to be rebuilt from the ground up.
Four days after a 3-14 season ended, the New York Jets began the least glamorous part of the offseason: refilling the bottom of the roster. Quarterback Bailey Zappe was among the first through the door, signing a reserve/future contract alongside wide receiver Mac Dalena and kicker Lenny Krieg.
Futures signings almost never make news, and this one is worth understanding precisely because of how little it commits the team to. For the mechanics behind every roster move like it, see our NFL guides hub.
What a reserve/future contract actually is
A reserve/future deal is available only to players who finished the regular season outside an active roster — practice squad players, or free agents. The contract cannot take effect until the new league year begins, which is why it carries no charge against the current salary cap.
- One year, non-guaranteed. The team can release the player at any point with no dead money.
- No current-year cap hit. The deal begins with the new league year in March.
- A place on the 90-man roster. The real value: a spot in the offseason program and training camp.
- Signed early, deliberately. Teams move in the days after the season to lock up practice-squad players before other clubs can.
Practically, it is the cheapest transaction in football. For how the developmental roster works around it, see our practice squad guide.
Who Bailey Zappe is
A 2022 fourth-round pick of the New England Patriots out of Western Kentucky, Zappe is 26 and has bounced through New England, Kansas City and Cleveland. He owns the FBS single-season records for passing yards (5,967) and passing touchdowns (62), both set at Western Kentucky in 2021, and he started the Browns’ Week 18 game against Baltimore to close the 2024 season. Full background and career numbers are on his JetsInsider player page.
| Career NFL passing | Figure |
|---|---|
| Completion percentage | 62.1 |
| Passing yards | 2,223 |
| Touchdowns | 12 |
| Interceptions | 14 |
| Career starts | 9 |
The profile is exactly what a futures signing is supposed to be: a passer with real NFL reps, a full playbook’s worth of experience, and no expectation attached.
What it says about the quarterback room
More than the signing itself, the interesting part is the shape of what is left. Three quarterbacks are under contract for 2026 as of today: Zappe, Justin Fields and undrafted free agent Brady Cook. Fields went 2-7 in nine starts and is widely expected to be released. Tyrod Taylor is headed for free agency and is not expected back.
Which means that at this moment, the Jets’ quarterback depth chart for next season is effectively a blank page with a futures signing at the bottom of it. General manager Darren Mougey has the draft, free agency and the trade market ahead of him, and this signing does nothing to constrain any of those choices — which is the point.
How that room eventually gets built is the subject of our explainer on how the Jets build the roster.
Update — August 24, 2026
Zappe is still on the roster seven months later, wearing No. 11, but the room around him looks nothing like it did in January. The Jets acquired Geno Smith from Las Vegas in March and drafted Clemson’s Cade Klubnik in the fourth round in April. Justin Fields is gone.
Zappe threw two interceptions in the preseason opener against Tampa Bay and went 6-of-8 for 65 yards in the 17-0 win over Pittsburgh, but Klubnik has outplayed him and is listed ahead of him. He enters the reduction to 53 as a cut candidate.
The wider question — whether a third quarterback is worth a roster spot at all — is covered in why the Jets carry three quarterbacks.
Related on JetsInsider
- Bailey Zappe player page — stats, background and current roster status
- Why the Jets carry three quarterbacks
- What Is the NFL Practice Squad?
- How NFL Free Agency Works
- Jets transactions tracker
Frequently asked questions
What is a reserve/future contract in the NFL?
A reserve/future contract is a one-year, non-guaranteed deal a team signs with a player who was not on any active roster at the end of the regular season. It takes effect at the start of the new league year, does not count against the current salary cap, and secures the player a place on the 90-man offseason roster.
When did the Jets sign Bailey Zappe?
The Jets signed Zappe to a reserve/future contract on January 12, 2026, days after the 2025 season ended. He spent the 2025 season on the Cleveland Browns practice squad.
What are Bailey Zappe’s career NFL statistics?
Zappe has thrown for 2,223 yards with 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions on a 62.1 completion percentage, with nine career starts split between the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns.
Does signing Zappe mean the Jets have solved quarterback?
No. A futures deal is a camp-arm signing, not a plan. At the time of the signing the Jets had Zappe, Justin Fields and undrafted free agent Brady Cook under contract for 2026, with Fields widely expected to be released and Tyrod Taylor headed for free agency.