The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reached out to high-ranking sources with several quarterback-needy teams in both the AFC and NFC, and none of them had discussed QB Mac Jones with HC Bill Belichick.
Howe notes that doesn’t mean Belichick didn’t have discussions with some team at some point about what it would take to trade Jones but it indicates he’s not itching to get rid of him right now.
He adds 2023 is an important season for Belichick and the Patriots, as they need to return to the playoffs after missing two of the past three. Given Belichick didn’t acquire another veteran to upgrade Jones, Howe notes it stands to reason he’s comfortable going forward with him under center, even if Belichick may have evaluated all of his options.
And while there may be tension that needs to be worked out between Jones and Belichick, Howe points out if Belichick were truly done with Jones, history suggests he’d have moved quickly to trade him by now.
After a strong rookie season, Jones regressed in 2022 and publicly chafed under Belichick’s changes to the offense that featured Matt Patricia and Joe Judge in significant roles despite little to no offensive coaching experience.
There have been numerous indications the relationship between Jones and Belichick isn’t great, with Belichick declining to confirm Jones would start over 2022 fourth-round QB Bailey Zappe when asked at the owners meeting. Zappe took over for Jones for portions of last season and Belichick said he’d get the chance to compete to start.
However, Patriots owner Robert Kraft is a big fan of Jones and believes in his talent, which would complicate any exit.
Jones, 24, took over as the starter for Alabama in 2020 and led one of the best offenses in school history. He was a consensus All-American as a redshirt junior and won the Davey O’Brien Award before declaring for the draft. The Patriots took Jones with pick No. 15 overall.
Jones signed a four-year, $15,586,353 contract with the Patriots that includes a $8,695,530 signing bonus. The Patriots will have a fifth-year option to pick up on him in 2024.
In 2022, Jones appeared in 14 games for the Patriots and completed 65.2 percent of his pass attempts for 2,997 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also rushed 47 times for 102 yards and a touchdown.
We’ll have more on Jones and the Patriots as the news is available.
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