- Update: Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said ahead of MNF that Mac Jones will get the start against the Chicago Bears.
Mac Jones has missed the past three New England Patriots games with a severe high ankle sprain suffered in the team’s Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. It’s been said that some injuries of this severity would require surgery, but Jones opted against any such operation.
Taking his place, initially, was veteran backup Brian Hoyer, but he too got hurt, paving the way for fourth-round rookie Bailey Zappe to make his NFL debut in Week 4.
But it’s been just a day shy of a month since Jones first suffered the ankle sprain, and now appears ready to get back into action, which could come as soon as Monday night against the Chicago Bears in primetime.
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Do the New England Patriots turn to Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe?
While Jones returned to practice this week starting out slow, with a limited session on Thursday before getting a full day in Friday. An extra day off to prepare for Monday’s showdown gave Jones another chance to practice on Saturday, prompting Ian Rapoport to pass along that the QB “took the bulk of the first-team reps.”
But even that statement leaves open the possibility for Zappe to start instead. While Rap finished by saying Jones is on track to return vs. the Bears, it hasn’t been set in stone just yet.
In fact, on Monday afternoon, Adam Schefter indicated that the Patriots’ QB situation is still uncertain but that Jones is expected to “play some” on Monday night.
Well, quarterbacks don’t typically play “some.” This isn’t a timeshare backfield. It’s either all or nothing.
Of course, head coach Bill Belichick is notorious for doing his best to keep his plans under wraps, feeling the opponent doesn’t need to know anything extra. So basically, heading into Monday night, no one truly knows whether Jones or Zappe will make the start, but all signs continue to point to Jones being under center. How much? Probably not just “some.”
Then again, if the offense starts sputtering again, maybe “some” becomes a reality, with Zappe given another shot. How the organization chooses to address the matter post-game will likely focus on Jones’s health and availability, being at less than 100%, but these are just excuses for poor play.
Yet, none of that will matter if Jones can play and play well. Which, given that the former first-round pick takes on the third-ranked passing defense in the Week 7 finale, could be easier said than done.
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