During the AFC Coaches Breakfast at the NFL’s annual meeting, Belichick spoke to reporters for the first time since his season-ending press conference in early January. His position was unchanged. Asked whether Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe would compete for the starting gig this summer, or if the job simply belonged to the incumbent quarterback, Belichick said auditions would be ongoing, Chris Mason of Masslive reports.

“Well, everybody will get a chance to play. We’ll play the best player,” Belichick said.

While Jones started every game that he was healthy for last season, Zappe proved to be a solid understudy. He pushed Green Bay to the limit as a backup and won a pair of spot starts before ultimately falling back to earth in New England’s disastrous Monday night loss to the Bears. After reiterating “everybody will get a chance to play,” Belichick said in a follow-up question that this was a roster-wide philosophy entering this summer.

“Every position,” Belichick said. “Everybody will get a chance to play. Everybody that’s on our roster, if they earn the opportunity to play, based on what they do in practice and all that then they’ll get the opportunity to play. Certainly, veteran players who have been on our team before, if they’re still on the team, will all get an opportunity to play.”

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