James White ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ to see Mac Jones back with the Patriots next year
"I’ve been saying all along, I can very well see him being on the roster."
Mac Jones’s third season with the Patriots did not go well.
He was benched four times. He lost his starting spot. He was demoted to third-string in the season finale against the Jets.
But, he’s still under contract. He has one year left on his rookie deal before the Patriots have to decide whether to exercise his fifth-year option.
There are questions about his fit with the team and whether the Patriots will attempt to address the quarterback position during the draft or free-agency.
Former Patriots running back James White said he wouldn’t be surprised to see Jones back with the Patriots next year.
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” White said during a recent appearance on MassLive’s Eye on Foxborough podcast. “Everybody’s saying, ‘trade and release’ and all that stuff. Maybe a change of scenery is possibly what he wants, which could be good for him. But, I’ve been saying all along, I can very well see him being on the roster.”
Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said Monday on WEEI’s Greg Hill Show that he’s in the “evaluation phase” of his decision making process when it comes to the quarterback position.
White said that he could see Jones battling to regain his starting spot next season.
“He can be a guy competing for a starting job, whether he actually wins out or not,” White said. “Whether they draft a rookie, whether they bring in a veteran guy. He’s had success in this league the last two years. It hasn’t gone his way, but if you bring in the right offensive coordinator, you allow him to compete with somebody else, who knows what may shake out next season?”
The Patriots will have a new offensive coordinator this season. Previous OC Bill O’Brien left for the same job at Ohio State. If Jones returns, he’ll be on his fourth offensive coordinator in four years.
The Patriots gave Jones plenty of opportunities last season, starting him in 11 consecutive games before turning to Bailey Zappe. They hired O’Brien last year with hopes that the former Alabama offensive coordinator would help Jones unlock his potential.
Things didn’t work out for Jones last season, but White said he could envision the 2021 first-round pick getting another shot in New England.
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