The New England Patriots ended the regular season with many believing Mac Jones would be traded in 2024 and replaced with a quarterback picked atop the 2024 NFL Draft. Just a few weeks into the pre-draft process, things seem to be changing.
Jones, the 15th overall pick in 2021, was disastrous in his third NFL season. After completing just 65.2 percent of his passes with an 84.8 QB rating and a 14-11 TD-INT line under Patriots’ offensive coordinator Matt Patricia in 2022, Jones somehow got worse in 2023 with Bill O’Brien as his play-caller.
- Mac Jones stats 2023: 2,120 passing yards, 10-12 TD-INT, 6.1 yards per attempt, 77.0 QB rating
Related: NFL reporter reveals big reason why New England Patriots may trade No. 3 pick
Everything that could go wrong for the Patriots quarterback last season seemingly did. The organization became infuriated with Jones’ performance and inconsistency with reports later emerging that head coach and general manager Bill Belichick didn’t want to draft Jones in 2021 and the relationship between the two was worse than it had ever been.
Even after parting ways with Belichick, the Patriots were open to trading Jones. However, the belief about what New England will do this offseason seems to be changing.
Patriots’ reporter Taylor Kyles of CLNS Media recently explained why he believes there is a greater possibility and even an increased likelihood of New England keeping Jones around for the 2024 season and even relying on him as its starting quarterback.
“If he truly regains confidence and has support from teammates, he’s probably the Patriots best option for 2024, even if they draft someone.”
New England Patriots reporter Taylor Kyles on quarterbac Mac Jones
While that would seem like a surprise considering what transpired last offseason, Belichick’s departure plays a key role in this. Reporting since last year has made it clear that Belichick was very low on Jones, even taking issue with him seeking outside help in 2022 which caused a significant rift that never went away.
Related: New details revealed behind issues between Mac Jones, New England Patriots in 2023
First-year head coach Jerod Mayo could offer Jones a fresh start, especially with the incoming Patriots coaching staff. Jones wouldn’t have to work with anyone on the offensive side who had allegiances to Belichick.
More importantly, the Patriots roster is still in a bad spot with any quarterback New England starts having one of the worst supporting casts in the NFL. Instead of bringing a rookie into this situation, the Patriots might ultimately trade down from the No. 3 pick and then use those assets to build a much better team around Jones. If he struggles in 2024, then New England can use its top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on a quarterback.
