New England Patriots want to ditch Mac Jones in blockbuster NFL trade
Mac Jones could be on his way out of the New England Patriots this off-season following reports that Bill Belichick has shopped the quarterback. It seemed as though the head coach was willing to give Jones another chance despite tensions running high from last season, but Belichick has already offered the quarterback to other teams according to a report from Mike Florio.
Filling the void of Tom Brady is near-impossible job for any aspiring NFL star, but after being drafted by the Patriots in 2021 that’s exactly what Jones was been tasked with. Jones made the postseason with a 10-7 record in his rookie year, but 2022 wasn’t as prolific, and he appeared to clash with Belichick.
Belichick’s track record when clashing with players proves that there’s only one winner, although the head coach hinted that Jones would still be the Patriots’ starting quarterback next season. But according to Florio that may no longer be the case, as Belichick has shopped the 24-year-old to multiple teams.
The teams involved remain anonymous, but the Las Vegas Raiders, Houston Texans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Washington Commanders have all been linked with a move for Jones. Patriots owner Robert Kraft remains a fan of Jones, but as ever the decisions seem to go through Belichick instead.
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Reports that Jones could be traded have persisted since the end of last season, as an alleged fall-out occurred between the quarterback and Belichick. According to Pro Football Talk, Jones saw outside help to assist with their offensive struggles earlier in the season.
Belichick reportedly let Jones know he wasn’t happy after finding out, and even though the 24-year-old saw out the remainder of the season many felt as though it could be his last in a Patriots jersey. But after the Patriots passed up the opportunity to move for Lamar Jackson, it looked as though Belichick was ready to offer Jones another chance.
Just because Jones has been shopped, it doesn’t mean that a trade is going to happen. And the Raiders are likely to be out of the running after signing former Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer as a back-up to the recently acquired Jimmy Garoppolo.
But there will also be teams that remain interested, and a deal for Jones could be seen as a safer option for a franchise currently looking to the NFL Draft for a quarterback solution – especially if they miss out on a star currently on their wish list. Every possibility is out there, but Jones’ situation is made even more difficult due to the fact that Kraft is an admirer of the quarterback.
“I’m a big fan of Mac,” Kraft told reporters last week. “He came to us as a rookie. He quarterbacked in his rookie season and did a very fine job I thought.
“We made the playoffs. I think we experimented with some things last year that frankly didn’t work when it came to him, in my opinion.”
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