Lately, it had become more and more obvious that the Patriots were planning to move on from Mac Jones, despite some talk of him staying in New England as a backup or competing for his starting job. However, on Sunday, three days before the start of the NFL season, the Patriots made the decision about Jones. Yes, there's a Mac Jones trade.
The Patriots sent Jones to Jacksonville, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The compensation is not yet determined, but Schefter indicated that the teams were talking about a sixth-round pick going back to the Patriots.
Per Schefter’s Twitter/X post, “Trade: Patriots are finalizing a deal to send QB Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars, sources tell ESPN. The trade cannot be processed until the new league year begins Wednesday and he passes a physical. The two sides were discussing a 6th-round pick, per sources. Jones was born in Jacksonville; now he has the chance to go home.”
Mac Jones Trade Might Not Benefit Him
There is uncertainty about whether Jones can still be a starting quarterback in the NFL. He won’t have that opportunity in Jacksonville, where Trevor Lawrence is the definite starter. Lawrence had several injuries last season, but only missed one game, which is the only game he has missed in three NFL seasons.
It's unfortunate for Jones, as he showed potential as a quarterback with the Patriots. He was a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie, but his performance declined, finishing last season on the bench with a 2-9 record as a starter and only a 77.0 quarterback rating, his worst in his three-year career.
Even last year, at times, like when he led a comeback win, 29-25, over Buffalo, Jones had issues with arm strength, but more importantly, he wore out his welcome with his visible frustration and lack of leadership.
“The leadership aspect was challenging for most people in the organization to accept, despite the difficult situation he was in with the coaches. I think his behavior really made the organization doubt whether they can see him as a leader all the time, NBC Sports insider Tom Curran told “The Rich Eisen Show” last month. “And I think it might be best if they move on from each other, from both sides.
“But, if you look at it objectively, he’s a kid on the fourth year of his rookie contract, it’s manageable. We’ve seen him have good games in the NFL, why would we move on from him?”
Patriots Require Several Quarterbacks
The trade of Jones reduces the depth of the Patriots quarterback room, leaving only backup Bailey Zappe and former CFL signee Nathan Rourke available.
The main question for the Patriots this offseason is how they will complete the quarterbacks on the team. It is presumed that they will sign a free agent or possibly get one through a trade, but it's not clear if they will seek a temporary/backup player in free agency and aim for a prominent player in the draft, or if they will aggressively pursue an experienced veteran starter and possibly trade the No. 3 pick before draft night.
In that situation, the Jones deal is quite small. However, he was selected in the first round by the team just three years ago, and the trade still marks a terrible conclusion to his short time with the team.
