NFL Rumors: Patriots have shopped Mac Jones, with these 4 teams interested
In a shocking revelation, the Patriots have apparently shopped QB Mac Jones earlier this offseason, and at least four teams around the league are interested.
The New England Patriots continue to make questionable decisions at the quarterback position with this latest report: the franchise has shopped quarterback Mac Jones to multiple teams in 2023.
To backtrack a little, Jones was linked to some trade rumors at the start of the offseason when an NFL insider reported that Jones’ sideline antics and temper tantrums last year “didn’t sit well” with head coach Bill Belichick. It was fine when Tom Brady did it, but Jones doesn’t get the same G.O.A.T. treatment.
At the time, Jones was very loosely considered a trade candidate as most believed that the 2021 first-rounder would get at least another year to develop in New England.
According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Belichick and the Pats might actually be done with Jones and looking to offload him to another team.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Belichick has shopped Jones to multiple teams during the 2023 offseason.
The Raiders are the ones to keep watching. Jimmy Garoppolo‘s contract lands in the low-end of middle class for starters, and Jones has two years left under a slotted rookie deal, before his fifth-year option would apply.
Along with the Las Vegas Raiders, Florio names the Houston Texans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Washington Commanders as potential destinations for Jones.
Patriots may be serious about trading QB Mac Jones this offseason
Who would have thought Jones would command more interest than Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson?
Just days after Belichick declared he wouldn’t pursue Jackson and seemingly planned to roll with Jones and Bailey Zappe for next season, the Jones shopping rumors throws the Pats’ quarterback room into pure chaos.
It feels unbelievable that the Patriots would try to trade Jones after just two years, one year of which Jones was working with a defensive coordinator-turned-offensive coordinator.
Jones’ dirty tricks aside, he displayed promise in his Pro Bowl rookie season posting nearly 4,000 passing yards and throwing 22 touchdowns against 13 interceptions. The Pats’ passing offense hit a self-imposed roadblock last year and struggled to generate consistent rhythm throughout the season; while Jones may shoulder some of the blame, he’s definitely not the only one at fault. Talk about being a scapegoat.
Two immediate questions jump out in light of the new rumors. One, where will Jones land? Will he really find a home on the Raiders, as Florio suggests? His asking price isn’t as egregious as Jackson’s and he could feasibly join any number of QB-needy teams.
Two, what is the Patriots’ plan at quarterback for 2023 if they’re moving on from Jones? Bailey Zappe? That just seems like a disaster waiting to happen.
The next few weeks should provide more clarity on the situation and tell us whether New England is stone-cold serious about trading Jones.
