New England Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe. Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Patriots' Bailey Zappe opens up about viral postgame exchange with Bill Belichick

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated 12/27/23

Bailey Zappe has led the New England Patriots to two victories in their last three games, and his relationship with head coach Bill Belichick appears to have evolved a bit during that time.

Following the Patriots’ road win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14, an understandably ecstatic Zappe came into the locker room and hugged offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien. Zappe then spotted Belichick and gave the coach an awkward thumbs-up before the two shared an extremely formal handshake.

This is the funniest 9 seconds of the NFL season. pic.twitter.com/d6K0mgLe0D

— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) December 8, 2023

The exchange went viral, with many wondering if there was tension between Belichick and Zappe. The two seemed to put that to rest after New England defeated the Denver Broncos 26-23 on Christmas Day. Zappe went right in for the hug, and Belichick gladly accepted.

Bailey Zappe is now in the inner circle with Bill Belichick pic.twitter.com/5jkTSOfzDE

— Savage (@SavageSports_) December 25, 2023

During a Tuesday appearance on WEEI’s “Jones & Mego” show, Zappe said his decision to hug Belichick after Monday’s win was very deliberate.

“The handshake thing and everything, when I was walking in after the Broncos game he like reached out for the handshake and I was like, ‘Ah, coach, no more handshake. Let’s go for a hug,'” Zappe said. “So that’s kind of how that all happened.”

Zappe also spoke about how fortunate he feels to be coached by Belichick. You can hear more of his response below:

Bailey Zappe on his relationship with Bill Belichick with @mikekadlick and @TheRealJonLyons:

“After the Broncos game, he reached in for a handshake and I told him no more handshakes, and then went for the hug.” pic.twitter.com/oYaEuC4Vd0

— Jones & Mego with Arcand (@JonesandMego) December 26, 2023

Belichick is notorious for making young players earn their stripes. Perhaps the 71-year-old was still taking the “disappointed father” approach with Zappe after the Steelers win.

Of course, Belichick is also known for showing very little emotion. We saw a great example of that with the viral video that showed how different his and Zappe’s reactions were to New England’s game-winning field goal in Denver.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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