The New England Patriots have finally settled on a backup quarterback. 

After cutting him late last month, and bringing him back to the practice squad a week later, the Patriots signalled Bailey Zappe will be their No. 2 play-caller for their season opener on Sunday as multiple reports stated he was signed to the 53-man roster

Zappe, who went 2-0 in starts No. 1 QB Mac Jones missed because of an injury last season, was in competition with Matt Corral for the backup job. 

Corral was waived, according to multiple reports.

Corral, who was picked up from the Panthers earlier this month, was released in a corresponding move. 

Over four appearances last season, the 24-year-old Zappe threw for 781 passing yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions.

New England took Zappe in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Zappe, however, struggled during the preseason, throwing for just 253 yards on 51 attempts while being sacked six times.

There were questions early in training camp about who would be the Patriots’ starting quarterback come Week 1, but as the season approached, it became clear that Jones was head coach Bill Belichick’s guy. 

“Mac’s had a good offseason and has had a really good camp,” Belichick said last week, per ESPN. “He understands the offense — how it works, how to get his teammates involved, how to help them be productive. So he’s had a really good stretch here; it’s been consistent all the way through.”

In July, Jones, whom the Patriots took with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, spoke about having a “fresh start” in 2023 with his head coach and the franchise.

“I think the biggest thing that we’ve all talked about is just having a fresh start. I think there’s a lot of learning experiences from last year that we’ve talked about and this year, it’s all about just working together, right?” Jones said.

The Patriots will host the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in Foxborough.