6 rings: Lets not jump straight to criticism about Elliot Wolf and other Patriot hires
It sounds like the book may be closing on Mac Jones’ career with the Patriots.
Despite new head coach Jerod Mayo apparently wiping the quarterback’s slate clean ahead of the 2024 season, New England still may look to trade their former first-round pick this offseason. Here’s what NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on Sunday:
“Even though Bill Belichick is gone, ...Mac Jones -- who lost the starting role and ended up third string by the end of the 2023 season -- is a trade candidate in the coming weeks and most likely will end up elsewhere for the 2024 season.”
Rapoport added that with the Patriots holding the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, “all indications are they’ll seriously explore taking one of the draft’s top [quarterbacks] as they move into the Jerod Mayo era.” Those top quarterbacks include USC's Caleb Williams, North Carolina's Drake Maye, and LSU's Jayden Daniels.
After a promising 2021 rookie campaign where he threw for 22 touchdowns, made the Pro Bowl (as an alternate), and led the Patriots to the postseason, Jones has struggled mightily over the past two seasons. His 'sophomore' campaign was plagued by injury, poor play, and questionable staff changes, and 2023 saw him at his worst. Jones finished this past year throwing just 10 touchdowns to 12 interceptions over New England's first 11 games while notching a passer rating of 77 and a 36.7 QBR - the 28th highest in football.
He was benched four times in said 11 games, and was replaced, for good, as New England's starter heading into Week 13 as the team turned the reigns over to Bailey Zappe.
Now, his time in Foxborough seems to be all but up.
“I’m looking forward to the next opportunity,” Jones told reporters at his locker the day after New England's season finale vs. the Jets. “I know it’s gonna come but at the end of the day, as a quarterback and a competitor, you have to be ready, right? So I’m gonna be ready.”
“I really love this place and have a lot of respect for this place,” he said of the Patriots organization. “We’ll see where it goes.”
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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