Patriots reportedly fielding calls from teams interested in trading for QB Mac Jones
New England is open to trading the former first-round draft pick, according to a report from NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
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Two months removed from the end of the Patriots’ 2023-24 season, the team is reportedly hearing from teams looking to acquire one of their quarterbacks.
New England “appears open to trading” Mac Jones and clubs are calling them to initiate trade discussions, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
MassLive’s Mark Daniels took the report a step further. The Patriots’ reported plan to overhaul their quarterback room, which includes drafting a signal-caller with the team’s No. 3 overall pick next month and signing a veteran to start for New England in 2024, also involves dealing Jones away, per Daniels.
The expectation is that the Patriots will give Jones, 25, a fresh start with a new team, according to Daniels’s report.
As for what New England could receive in compensation for Jones, don’t expect a haul. The Patriots might receive a fourth or fifth-round draft pick in such a trade, per Daniels.
A mid-round draft pick in exchange for a formerly promising young player symbolizes Jones’s fall-off. Jones led New England to the playoffs to encapsulate his stellar rookie season in 2021.
He logged nearly 4,000 passing yards and tossed 22 touchdowns in his first year, becoming the first Patriots’ rookie quarterback to throw 20 touchdowns since Jim Plunkett in 1970. Jones was also named a Pro Bowler and finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.
Since then, the quarterback’s career has taken a turn for the worst, leading to trade rumors this offseason.
Jones remained the Patriots’ starter in 2022, missing three games due to an ankle injury. He was benched mid-game in Week 7 against the Bears in favor of rookie Bailey Zappe, but started the following week and the rest of the season. Jones experienced a sophomore slump, throwing 800 fewer yards and eight fewer touchdowns compared to his previous season.
Some expected Jones to thrive under his new and third offensive coordinator in as many seasons, Bill O’Brien.
However, Jones had a much shorter leash in 2023. He started 11 games last season and was benched in four games due to poor performance before losing the starting job to Zappe. Jones threw more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (10) and won just two games in what may have been his final season as a Patriot.
A fresh start for Jones could be what he needs to get back on track. Perhaps a quarterback-needy team such as the Raiders or Vikings could trade for Jones and attempt to get him back to his Pro Bowl form.
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