Patriots quarterback room became ‘toxic’ and a Mac Jones return would be surprising, insider says
"It’s not that I think Jones is a lost cause. It’s that his cause in New England is lost."
As of right now, Mac Jones is still a New England Patriot.
NFL Media reported last week that the Patriots view him as a “trade candidate” and that he’ll likely end up playing elsewhere next season.
There’s still a possibility that Jones ends up staying and playing out a fourth season in New England, but it’s unlikely that he’ll get another chance to be the starter, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
“I’d be surprised,” Breer wrote. “It’s not that I think Jones is a lost cause. It’s that his cause in New England is lost.”
Breer explained that Jones’s recent history with the Patriots may be tough to overcome. Things started out relatively smoothly during his rookie season, but the last two seasons have been subpar.
“He was well-liked early on, but, over time, lost support in the building,” Breer wrote. “And the quarterback room he was in the last two years got toxic, to the point where Bailey Zappe, as a rookie, sometimes watched tape in the receiver room.”
Jones lost his starting spot to Zappe after 12 games last season. By the season finale, Jones had been demoted to third-string. Former coach Bill Belichick reportedly stopped speaking to Jones after benching him multiple times.
“That’s a lot of wounds,” Breer wrote. “Some self-inflicted, some not, to try and heal, and wounds that Jerod Mayo saw surface with his own eyes as a Patriots assistant. You can’t snap your fingers and make that history disappear with coaches and staff. “
“What happens if Jones comes back and has some bumps in the offseason, in camp or in an early game?” Breer added. “Everyone will point right back to the history. Which makes for a tough environment for Jones to try and move forward in, and potentially a tough spot for Mayo to dig his first team out of.”
The best-case scenario would be for Jones to resurface elsewhere as a backup, Breer said.
“I think the ideal for Jones is that he lands somewhere like San Francisco as a backup, gets a year to learn, play if there’s an injury, and rebuild his name and reputation in the league,” Breer wrote. “I actually really have enjoyed my interactions with him personally, and I think there’s a good quarterback—like a Chad Pennington type—in there somewhere. Someone can probably get that out of him. I don’t think it can be the Patriots.”
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