NFL News: Patriots make final decision on QB Mac Jones' continuity

The 2023 NFL season has not been the best for Mac Jones. The quarterback of the New England Patriots is really struggling this year, and now the team has made a final decision regarding his continuity as starter.

In 2019, a new era started for the Patriots. After 20 years with Tom Brady leading the offense, the quarterback parted ways with the team. It was a big challenge for New England, as they needed to find a decent replacement for the six-time Super Bowl champion.

Two years later, the Patriots decided to draft Mac Jones, a promising quarterback who had a remarkable college career in Alabama. However, he’s not living up to the expectations, and time is running out for him.

OC Bill O’Brien weighs in on Mac Jones’ continuity as starter

The 2023 season has probably been the worst for Mac Jones so far. The quarterback has been benched in two consecutive blowout losses, where he threw two interceptions, zero touchdowns and less than a 40 passer rating in each game.

For this reason, several fans have asked the Patriots to sit Jones for the rest of the season. However, offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien told reporters on Tuesday that they expect him to start in their Week 6 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

O’Brien emphasized the importance of mentality, as they are working really hard with Mac Jones on this matter. No player wants to be benched, especially in back-to-back games, and this could have a major impact on his gameplay moving forward.

The game against the Raiders is crucial for New England, and O’Brien is aware of it. The offensive coordinator said that the Patriots are having too many turnovers, and that the whole coaching staff is working with all the players to try to reduce this number.

Behind Mac Jones is Bailey Zappe, who has played several games as his replacement. Jones has not been able to throw a touchdown since September 24th against the New York Jets, and of course it is considered as a huge problem for the whole organization.

Could the New England Patriots hire a new quarterback to replace Mac Jones?

As of today, there are no rumors of the New England Patriots being interested in trading for a player to replace Mac Jones. Apparently, they want to give their 2021 15th overall pick another opportunity to see if he can become the franchise quarterback they expected him to be.

Of course, the free agency market is still an option for the Patriots. However, they tried to go through this path in 2020 with Cam Newton, but their season with the veteran quarterback was a complete disaster and that’s why a year later they drafted Mac Jones.

Which quarterbacks are still available in the free agency?

If the Patriots do make a move for a veteran quarterback, there are some interesting options still available in the free agency market. Nevertheless, some of them have not played in a long time and this could be a major problem for them.

Some of the top veteran quarterbacks in free agency include Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, Nick Foles, and Cam Newton. However, it appears unlikely that the Patriots will sign any of these players, as it seems they intend to stick with Mac Jones for at least one more season.