Foxborough, Mass. (WEEI/WGR 550) - The Mac Jones era in New England has officially come to an end.
The New England Patriots have reportedly agreed to traded the former No. 15 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round pick. The trade was first reported by ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter.
There were four teams in on trading for Jones, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.
A first-round pick out of University of Alabama three years ago, Jones took the Patriots to the playoffs as a rookie and made the Pro Bowl as an alternate.
Since then, however, both he and his team have struggled mightily on offense. After a sub-par 2022, Jones threw 12 interceptions to just 10 touchdowns over his first 11 games in 2023, notching a passer rating of just 77 (a career-worst) and a QBR of 36.7 - just the 28th highest in football.
Jones was benched permanently for Bailey Zappe heading into Week 13.
The 25-year-old now heads home to Jacksonville, where he grew up and attended high school at the Bolles School, where he'll have the opportunity to sit behind incumbent starter Trevor Lawrence before hitting free agency in the spring of 2025.
The Patriots' quarterback room now consists of Bailey Zappe and Nathan Rourke. According to MassLive, their plan is to sign a veteran quarterback on the free agent market and select a rookie with the No. 3 overall pick in April's draft.