The Tom Brady era came to an end when it became clear both parties were ready to try and win on their own. Brady got his ring the very next season, but the New England Patriots haven’t been the same since.
We saw the Patriots make a feeble attempt at trying to replace the Hall of Fame QB, but even gambling on Cam Newton was always a long shot. His $1.75 million contract reflected that more than anything, and to no surprise, Newton wasn’t the same version as the MVP we saw looking like Superman with the Carolina Panthers.
But the Patriots then thought they solved their QB void when Mac Jones landed in New England as the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The former Alabama star started all 17 games as a rookie, leading the Patriots to the playoffs in his first season.
Yet, it all unraveled in his second season under a strange staff led by Joe Judge and Matt Patricia, two coaches without an offensive background. Jones saw his completion and touchdown rates shrink while making fewer plays downfield. Not a great mix.
So the Patriots hired an extremely experienced offensive coordinator, bringing in former NFL head coach and fellow Alabama alum Bill O’Brien to coach Jones while improving his group of skill position players, adding JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mike Gesicki. It was also the start of the 25-year-old’s third NFL season, which is commonly a time when young quarterbacks take a big step forward in their development.
After five weeks, it’s safe to say we’re not seeing a new-and-improved QB under center. The Patriots are coming off the two worst losses of coach Bill Belichick’s career, where Jones threw his second pick-six in as many weeks, leading to being benched both times. There’s no more risk of shattering a young QB’s confidence because Jones already did that himself by committing seven turnovers across parts of five games while leading the Patriots to an average of eight points per game. It’s one of the worst scoring attacks in the NFL.
There’s no question that it’s time to try something new in New England, but which QBs should the Patriots consider replacing Jones with? There are several routes to take, depending on how big of a risk this typically-safe organization is willing to take.
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New England Patriots QB replacements for Mac Jones
The Patriots’ in-season options to replace Jones are limited. It’s the same situation the New York Jets found themselves in when Aaron Rodgers got hurt four snaps into the season. It’s hard to hand the keys to an offense to a QB who doesn’t know the plays, hasn’t gotten the reps, and has no chemistry with his pass-catchers in the middle of the season.
Because of these challenges, the smoothest transition in New England would be to keep giving Bailey Zappe more opportunities. He’s already seeing increased playing time during practice, and he’s been getting some experience in the past two losses. But the Patriots already have a strong idea of what to expect from the second-year pro. There’s a reason why they haven’t been itching to pull the plug on their former first-round QB.
Zappe is the obvious first choice to take over in New England, but it’s hard to forget about the spark Malik Cunningham provided during the preseason. While it was only exhibition play, the undrafted rookie quickly provided a spark, moving the chains with his legs when pass protection broke down and escaping the pocket to buy more time for downfield throws. Sure, he’s inexperienced, which means this offense could get messy in a hurry, but if the Patriots are willing to be honest and look in the mirror, this scoring attack is already about as ugly as it gets.
Other options that wouldn’t require much of an investment include Carson Wentz, who is likely the best free agent QB available, aside from maybe a reunion with Cam Newton. Wentz has shown flashes of being the second overall pick he was selected to be, but too many turnovers and an inability to avoid sacks have been far bigger issues. Still, he’d be another capable buy-low player who could likely lead a more explosive offense than Jones is.
If the Patriots, for some reason, want to turn to the trade market despite being 1-4, their options are limited. They could try and make the Indianapolis Colts an offer too good to refuse for Gardner Minshew (perhaps a 5th-round pick gets it done), but at the rate Anthony Richardson has been getting hurt, the Colts may not pick up the phone.
Other QB trade targets could potentially include Houston’s Davis Mills, Tennessee’s Malik Willis, or even a reunion with Brian Hoyer from Las Vegas. Yet, there’s no guarantee Houston or Tennessee are ready to move on from their young backups, even with C.J. Stroud looking like the best rookie QB so far.
They may not want to say or admit it in New England, but their best option right now is to give Cunningham or Zappe a long look and embrace a tanking effort with an eye on the 2024 NFL Draft.
With QB prospects like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Shedeur Sanders, and a few others who could end up as first-round picks, the Patriots are already in a strong position to land their QB of the future as they now are set to end up with a top-five pick after their Week 5 loss.
It’s time for the Patriots to give Zappe a chance, and if the offense still looks the same as it did with Jones, embrace the unpredictability of what Cunningham can offer. It will either lead to a more potent scoring attack or a team bad enough to be in position for a reset at QB. Both outcomes are better than the lack of punch Jones has offered the past two seasons.
Related: See where Mac Jones lands in Sportsnaut’s NFL QB rankings