NFL Rumors: Patriots make decision on Mac Jones' future as franchise aims for fresh start under Jerod Mayo
The New England Patriots have made their decision on Mac Jones' future in Foxborough. According to Mark Davis of MassLive, the team will decline the 5th-year option for Mac Jones.
Davis discussed in detail how Mac Jones' career in New England as the Patriots quarterback fell apart. He also shed light on Jones' future at Foxborough. The Patriots QB will be hitting the free agency market after the 2024-25 NFL season.
Jones will enter his fourth season in the NFL in 2024. The Patriots quarterback was drafted as the 15th overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft to fill the shoes of Tom Brady, who left to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.
The player showed promise as a rookie gunslinger under former coach Bill Belichick and led the team to a playoff spot with a 10-7 record. He finished with 3801 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, with a completion percentage of 67.6%.
Since then, Jones has regressed, finishing his next two seasons with a losing record of 8-17. Along the way, his relationship with Belichick deteriorated. Jones rubbed shoulders the wrong way with the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach when he sought outside help during the 2022 NFL season, which created tension between the two. Jones eventually lost the locker room with the quarterback's continued struggles.
The Patriots' moves around Jones weren't helping either, from hiring Matt Patricia to assembling poor offensive weapons, it was total chaos in New England.
Mac Jones's future explored as Patriots look to start fresh under Jerod Mayo
The New England Patriots parted ways with Bill Belichick after the 2023 NFL season. The franchise hired Jerod Mayo, who was the linebackers coach for the team from 2019 until 2023.
The new Patriots head coach will look to resurrect the failing franchise, which hasn't been stable since Tom Brady's exit. Jerod Mayo brings a breath of fresh air into the locker room, something which the players have been yearning for.
The first task at hand for Jerod Mayo will be to nail the upcoming draft. The Patriots currently have the third pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and will look to strike gold from the pool of talented quarterbacks available.
This brings us to the question of - What's does future hold for Mac Jones in New England?
With the Patriots declining the 5th-year option, there are a bunch of options available for Mayo.
The Patriots could look to shop Jones to acquire assets for their rebuild. Mayo looks to have Jones as the backup for starter Bailey Zappe or a rookie QB, if they draft one. The Patriots could also try to play Jones as the starter in a last-ditch attempt to revamp their broken offense.
Either way, the 2024 season could be the final straw of Jones' career in New England.