The New England Patriots will trade quarterback Mac Jones, a former first-round pick, to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a late-round draft pick, according to multiple media reports Sunday.
The deal calls for Jones, who is from Jacksonville, to head to the Jaguars for a sixth-round pick in April’s draft, according to an ESPN report. Trades are not official until the new league year starts Wednesday, and Jones would have to pass a physical.
Jones, 25, was taken with the 15th selection in the 2021 draft out of Alabama. The No. 1 pick in that draft, Trevor Lawrence, is the starter in Jacksonville.
The Patriots, who with the No. 3 pick this year could select one of the highest-rated quarterbacks, were not going to pick up Jones’ fifth-year option for the 2025 season before the May 2 deadline, according to reports.
His career in New England started on a bright note. Jones made the Pro Bowl and went 10-7 in his first season, passing for 3,801 yards with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The Patriots lost to the Buffalo Bills 47-17 in the wild-card playoff round.
Over the past two seasons, however, Jones was 8-17 as New England’s starter with 24 touchdowns and 23 interceptions and fell out of favor with then-head coach Bill Belichick
Bailey Zappe, a fourth-round draft pick in 2022, wound up starting six games for the Patriots during Belichick’s final season with the franchise in 2023.
The team’s unofficial depth chart on Sunday listed Zappe as the starter, followed by Jones and Nathan Rourke.
Jones played under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as a rookie, then after McDaniels left to coach the Las Vegas Raiders, the quarterback was coached by Matt Patricia, Joe Judge and Bill O’Brien.
In his three seasons in New England, Jones completed 66.1 percent of his passes for 8,918 yards, 46 touchdowns and 36 interceptions in 42 games (all starts).
Of the five quarterbacks drafted in the first 15 picks in 2021, only Lawrence is a lock to start 2024 with the team that drafted him.
The San Francisco 49ers traded No. 3 pick Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys in 2023. The New York Jets benched No. 2 pick Zach Wilson and have given him permission to seek a trade, and Justin Fields, the No. 11 selection, could be traded by the Chicago Bears this offseason.
–Field Level Media