Mac Jones reportedly ‘likely’ to be moved by Patriots this offseason
Jones struggled in his third season in the league, getting benched four times before Bailey Zappe took over.
Mac Jones’s time in New England might be coming to an end this offseason.
The quarterback will be a trade candidate in “the coming weeks and most likely will end up elsewhere for the 2024 season,” NFL Media reported Sunday.
Jones hit a few valleys during the 2023 season en route to the Patriots’ worst season in over three decades. He was benched in consecutive games in Weeks 4 and 5 against the Cowboys and Saints, respectively, committing six total turnovers during those games (four interceptions and two fumbles). He briefly regrouped in the following few games, but still had his struggles before he was benched again in Weeks 10 and 12 with Bailey Zappe taking over for good in Week 13.
On top of Jones’s rocky play, reports emerged that his relationship with Bill Belichick was on bad terms due to his decision to seek outside help when the Patriots struggled offensively under Matt Patricia during the 2022 season. Following a promising rookie year, Jones threw for 2,997 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 11 over 14 games in 2022.
Jones threw for 2,120 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions over 11 games this past season, quarterbacking one of the league’s worst offenses. The Patriots finished 30th in yards (276.2 per game) and tied for last in scoring (13.9 points per game).
Despite how rough things went for Jones this past season, he seemed to at least be open to a return to the Patriots in 2024. He was notably one of the few players to attend Jerod Mayo’s introductory press conference as the Patriots’ next head coach, which impressed New England’s new leading man.
“Mac Jones was in there working out,” Mayo told ESPN’s Mike Reiss in January. “That attitude, that mentality of changing the page, is something that I hold high.”
What the Patriots could get for Jones in a trade obviously remains to be seen. He could have some value because he’s still young (he turns 26 in September) and showed promise as a rookie, throwing for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions as he led the Patriots to the playoffs. He’s also still on his rookie contract as well, holding a cap number of nearly $5 million for next season.
But Jones has also underperformed over the last two years. In addition to the mediocre-to-poor volume stats, Jones’s 5.8 turnover-worthy play percentage was the worst among all quarterbacks who played in at least half of their team’s games, per Pro Football Focus.
If the Patriots decide to move on from Jones, trading him would serve them better. In addition to acquiring any possible trade capital, the Patriots would be able to save roughly $2.8 million in cap space if they traded Jones, per OverTheCap. If the Patriots released Jones, his entire cap number for next season would turn into dead money, meaning the Patriots wouldn’t create any cap room, according to OverTheCap.
As for what the Patriots will do next at quarterback, they hold the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, giving them the opportunity to select one of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels. The Patriots will “seriously explore” taking one of the top quarterback prospects with the No. 3 overall pick, according to NFL Media.
However, teams around the NFL believe the Patriots are open to moving down from their top selection and could sign a veteran quarterback instead, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported Saturday.
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