AFC Notes: Jets, Patriots, Bailey Zappe

Jets

2023 has been a breakout year for Jets DE Bryce Huff, as the rise of the former undrafted free agent has been one of the bright spots of New York’s season. Huff will be an unrestricted free agent next offseason and will obviously be looking for a raise. But he shared it’s also important to find a team willing to give him a chance to change the narrative that he’s a situational pass rusher only who can’t play the run. 

“I definitely want to be able find a scheme that sees me as an every-down player,” he said via ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “It gives me the opportunity to show that I can be a top-tier edge in this league in the run and in the pass. So that’s definitely something I’m going to be looking for.”

Huff wouldn’t rule out a return to the Jets, but given their depth at defensive end, how they’ve used him in the past and their philosophy of heavy rotations, it seems less likely. 

“I feel like I still need to go wherever’s best for me personally, just because of how much work I put in,” he said. “I feel like I owe it to myself to really reach my full potential as far as playing time and really reaching for (statistical) goals.”

• Huff says the team won’t be getting a discount on him as a free agent after he finished with 10.5 sacks on the season: “I worked so hard I feel like I owe it to myself and my family to maximize my earnings.” (Andy Vasquez)
• The Athletic’s Dianna Russini says the Jets told QB Zach Wilson they planned to try and trade him this offseason when they benched him earlier this season. That played into his initial reluctance to return to the starting lineup again. 
• Jets DT Quinnen Williams was fined $16,391 for a hit on a quarterback and $10,927 for unnecessary roughness.

Bailey Zappe

Patriots QB Bailey Zappe says he is looking forward to a possible quarterback competition for the team’s starting job next year.

“If that’s what they decide to do, that’s what they decide to do,” Zappe said. “I’m looking forward to competing against whoever comes in here for that job. I’m going to do the same thing I did last offseason: Get ready to be the guy and if my name’s called I’m going to do the best thing I can to help the team win.”

Patriots

Patriots 38-year-old WR Matthew Slater hasn’t announced his retirement but is faced with the possibility that it could be an emotional final game.

“I feel very appreciated by the people in the building, just thankful for how everyone has treated me this week, and the thanks they’ve expressed and things like that,” Slater said, via Pro Football Talk. “I’m sure it’ll be an emotional Sunday, for obvious reasons, but my job is to focus on playing football, and I’ve always tried to do my job. That’s not going to change on Sunday.”

“The thing I hope people remember me by when my time is up is what I did off the football field, how I engage with the community, how I tried to use my platform the right way to connect with people, uplift them, and bring the people around me up. That’s always been my approach,” Slater added.

• Following the Week 18 game, Slater praised HC Bill Belichick and his teammates before being asked about retirement: “Let’s talk about that another day…” (Mike Giardi)
• Patriots HC Bill Belichick believes ILBs coach Jerod Mayo will make a good head coach in the NFL: “Yeah, I think we have a lot of coaches on our staff who are good coaches… I think we have a lot of good coaches on our staff, Jerod being one of them,” via Mark Daniels. 
• Patriots DB Jalen Mills was fined $16,136 for unnecessary roughness.