Are Jones’ days as a franchise QB over?
Mac Jones’ professional football career didn’t go the way he thought it would. The 2021 first-round pick went from dreaming of becoming a true franchise quarterback to delivering one of the NFL’s biggest hits. But despite his third season with the Patriots, Jones isn’t ready to quit. But the 25-year-old has been forced to reexamine his expectations, as evidenced in an article Monday by MassLive’s Mark Daniels.
“According to a source close to the quarterback, Jones ended the 2023 season in a better place mentally after watching the game from a distance,” Daniels wrote. “…Jones was realistic about what this season meant for his future. The quarterback even talked about Geno Smith’s journey, telling sources at Gillette Stadium that his path could be similar to that of the veteran quarterback.
After his first two seasons in New York, it took eight years for Smith to recover.Daniels also reported that Jones would not have stayed in New England if Bill Belichick had kept his job. But now that Jerod Mayo is the head coach, the door isn’t closed for Jones to return to the Patriots in 2024.Daniels said the Patriots have no plans to pick up Jones’ fifth-year option and are willing to trade him for a suitable package. New England is expected to upgrade its quarterback this offseason.
So while Jones is willing to play long games and take a back seat, the Patriots may want him to go elsewhere to get his career back on track.
