Mac Jones’ descent continues as the New England Patriots contemplate a shift in their quarterback lineup after another disappointing loss in Week 10.
According to Tom E. Curran, a Patriots insider from NBC Sports Boston, who spoke on “The Rich Eisen Show” , there are intriguing plans for the struggling quarterback. Jones is likely to be demoted to the third-string QB position, with Bailey Zappe and Will Grier moving ahead of him in the depth chart.
“Mac Jones is going to almost certainly sit. I think he’ll probably be dropped down to third-string. You’re gonna elevate Will Grier and you’re gonna elevate the player that took the final snaps the other day…Bailey Zappe.
“If I was a betting man, and I don’t have any intel on this, but Will Grier gets the reps to be the starter, and if he fails in that, then Zappe would start and Grier would be No. 2 and you proceed through the end of the year and try to maintain the culture.”
In Sunday’s Week 10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, head coach Bill Belichick opted to bench Mac Jones in favor of Bailey Zappe for the Patriots’ final drive. This decision came on the heels of Jones throwing a costly red zone interception with just over four minutes remaining in the game.
Jones, who had a promising rookie campaign in 2021, has faced frustration in the 2022 season. However, critics point to coaching decisions, particularly Belichick assigning offensive play-calling responsibilities to Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, who have defensive and special teams backgrounds, respectively.
RELATED: Mac Jones Savagely Rips ‘Balding’ Reporter at Patriots Press Conference
To address the challenges, Belichick made changes, bringing in Bill O’Brien as the offensive coordinator and signing speedster JuJu Smith-Schuster and veteran running back Ezekiel Elliott in free agency. Despite these adjustments, Jones’s performance has unexpectedly declined. The 25-year-old quarterback has accumulated just 2,031 passing yards and 10 touchdowns, matching his interceptions. Additionally, he has faced 21 sacks in 10 contests.
With the Patriots on a bye week, Belichick has ample time to evaluate and make a decision regarding the starting quarterback for Week 11 against the New York Giants. The current circumstances suggest that Mac Jones might benefit from a change of scenery to realize success in the remainder of his NFL career.