Boomer Esiason lost for words after witnessing Mac Jones’ regression under Bill Belichick: “Virtually unexplainable”
Mac Jones' role as the starting quarterback of the New England Patriots appears to be in serious jeopardy. His disastrous year includes his team having an awful 2-9 record in the 2023 NFL season, the worst in any during the Bill Belichick era spanning more than two decades.
Regression has been the main theme of Jones' career so far as the past two years haven't at all lived up to his promising rookie campaign. The Patriots seemed to have made an excellent choice when they selected him in the 2021 NFL Draft after an encouraging rookie season. That no longer appears to be the case as he has consistently struggled in the two years since then.
Former quarterback Boomer Esiason recently discussed Jones' downfall during an appearance on The Greg Hill Show. He sounded perplexed with the drastic regression of the once-promising prospect.
Esiason said (via Mike Kadlick):
"The amazing thing, to me, is that two years ago I voted him as Rookie of the Year over Ja'Marr Chase. I thought he had a tremendous rookie season and he got the team to the playoffs. Watching what has happened to him over the last two years is virtually unexplainable to me."
If not for an historic rookie season by Ja'Marr Chase, it's likely that Mac Jones would have been named the Offensive Rookie of the Year for the 2021 season. Even with Chase having one of the best statistical rookie seasons of all-time, Esiason still believed that Jones deserved the award.
During his rookie year, Jones helped the Patriots achieve a solid 10-7 record and make an appearance in the NFL Playoffs. It has been all downhill since then, as he has won just eight of his next 25 starts with 24 touchdowns and a massive 23 interceptions.
Jones' disappointing season has caused head coach Bill Belichick to bench him during multiple games, though he hasn't yet committed to making the change permanent. Unless the quarterback turns things around quickly, his days as a starter could be coming to an end in the near future.
Who will replace Mac Jones?
If Bill Belichick officially pulls the plug on Mac Jones as the New England Patriots' starting quartrback, Bailey Zappe will likely be his immediate replacement. The issue with Zappe is that he has looked unimpressive in his limited opportunities, so this change is unlikely to be permanent beyond this season.
The silver lining to the Patriots' disastrous season so far is that they are currently in line to have one of the top picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. This particular draft class is considered to be exceptionally strong at the quarterback position, so they may have an opportunity at one of the top prospects. Caleb Williams and Drake Maye currently headline the deep list of potential options.