New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones looked like he could be the face of the franchise after earning his first Pro Bowl selection as a rookie. After two disappointing seasons and with the franchise headed in a new direction, it appears Jones will be floated heavily in NFL trade rumors this offseason.
Jones, the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, got off to a promising start. The 6-foot-3 quarterback posted a 92.5 QB rating with a 67.6 percent completion rate and 22 passing touchdowns as a rookie. When the Patriots coaching staff lost Josh McDaniels, however, Jones’ performance plummeted.
- Mac Jones stats 2023: 2,120 passing yards, 10-12 TD-INT, 6.1 yards per attempt, 77.0 QB rating
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The second-year quarterback struggled in 2022 with Matt Patricia as offensive coordinator and Joe Judge as his quarterbacks coach. Jones’ quarterback rating fell to 84.8 and he threw nearly as many interceptions (11) as touchdowns (14). While New England eventually brought in Bill O’Brien, the damage to Jones’ confidence and consistency was done. He regressed even further in 2023 and is now reportedly on the trade block.
According to Mark Daniels of MassLive.com, the Patriots are very open to trading Jones this offseason and will move him if the price is right. With a new coaching staff coming in, New England is focused this offseason on finding an upgrade at quarterback and that makes Jones very expendable.
Interestingly, however, Belichick’s departure does increase the chances of Jones staying in New England. If the Patriots had kept their future Hall of Fame coach around, Jones would’ve been a near certainty to be traded.
Mac Jones trade landing spots
With the Patriots prepared to decline the fifth-year option on the Mac Jones contract, any team that acquires the former first-round pick would only have him for the 2024 season. It diminished the return for New England and opens up the possibility for Jones to land with a team that has cap limitations and needs more competition at quarterback in 2024.
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- Atlanta Falcons: In first-year offensive coordinator Zac Robinson’s system, the Falcons’ offense should run a lot smoother. Unfortunately, they aren’t well-positioned to land one of the three best quarterback prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. An alternative would be trading for Jones, putting him in a completely different environment than he had in New England. The Falcons would have playmakers to make Jones’ life easier and a supportive, player-friendly coaching staff could help restore his confidence.
- Las Vegas Raiders: Much like the Falcons, the Las Vegas Raiders are not high enough in the 2024 NFL Draft order to move up for one of the top prospects. Instead, Las Vegas could trade down to recoup more draft capital, use a Day 3 pick to acquire Jones and then use one of their top picks in the 20-40 range on a quarterback like Bo Nix or Michael Penix Jr.
- Denver Broncos: Sean Payton wants a quick-thinking passer who will execute the offense with rhythm and stick to the plays. While Jones lost some of that ability in his final seasons with New England, he regularly displayed it at Alabama and as a rookie with the Patriots. The Broncos’ cap issues are going to prevent them from landing a better quarterback, so acquiring Jones and having him compete in training camp with Jarrett Stidham could be a cost-effective option.
