The Patriots are down to their third-string quarterback as they look to pull off an upset win over the Packers.
New England lost Brian Hoyer after he was sacked on the second drive of the game. Rashan Gary put a big hit on Hoyer and he was slow getting up after it.
Hoyer was evaluated for a head injury in the wake of that hit and the Patriots quickly ruled him out of the contest.
Rashan Gary averaging a sack a game ✅ pic.twitter.com/6jLgFaxl53
— IKE Packers Podcast (@IKE_Packers) October 2, 2022
Hoyer had completed 5 of 6 passes for 37 yards in his brief action as Patriots starter. He led the team to three points on his two drives.
The Patriots were already without starting quarterback Mac Jones for Sunday's contest due to an ankle injury. As such, the team had to turn to rookie Bailey Zappe to quarterback the team after Hoyer's exit.
MORE: Who is Bailey Zappe? Hoyer injury forces rookie into action vs. Packers
Zappe, a fourth-round pick in this year's draft, had never played an NFL regular-season snap before his action on Sunday. The Western Kentucky product threw for 462 yards in the preseason, however, and is the NCAA's all-time, single-season leader in passing yards with 5,967.
Should Zappe go down, it's unclear who the Patriots would play at quarterback. Their normal emergency quarterback, wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, is also out for Week 4 because of a knee injury.
So, if Zappe suffers an injury, the Patriots may have to take a page out of the Giants' playbook and run a lot of Wildcat plays.