NFL Rumors: Mac Jones to Be Traded to Jaguars; Patriots Get 2024 6th-Round Draft Pick

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The Mac Jones era with the New England Patriots will come to an end after three seasons.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Jacksonville Jaguars will acquire the quarterback in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft:

ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported Sunday the two sides were working toward a trade centered around Jones.

“The trade cannot be processed until the new league year begins Wednesday and he passes a physical,” per Schefter. “The two sides were discussing a sixth-round pick, per sources.”

CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones and The MMQB’s Albert Breer provided additional context:

Dealing Jones comes after the Patriots entered a new era with Jerod Mayo taking over as head coach following Bill Belichick’s departure after a disappointing 2023 season. They also own the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL draft with several quarterbacks likely to come off the board very early.

This trade follows two seasons of poor play that saw Jones get benched multiple times. He didn’t appear in the final six games of this year after being replaced by Bailey Zappe.

The season began amid reports of tension between the former Alabama star and head coach Bill Belichick.

Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston told WEEI’s Jones & Mego with Arcand on March 31 that Belichick was “really pissed” at the 24-year-old for calling members of the Crimson Tide coaching staff for advice on how to run the offense last season:

The No. 15 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, Jones was given an opportunity to become New England’s next franchise quarterback. He got off to a solid start with 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns and a 67.6 completion percentage as a rookie.

New England made the playoffs with a 10-7 record in his first season, but a 47-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wild Card game showcased how far this team was from being a top-tier Super Bowl contender.

Things became more difficult for Jones in his second season, primarily due to the departure of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels when he was hired as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Rather than bring in a proven offensive mind to work with his young quarterback, Belichick hired Matt Patricia to call plays for the offense. The 48-year-old had never called plays and was primarily known for his work as a defensive coach.

Rumblings about the offense struggling began in training camp and continued over the course of the regular season. Jones could be seen voicing his frustrations on the sideline at times, notably during a 24-10 loss to the Bills in Week 13.

A high ankle sprain also impacted the signal-caller’s performance and caused him to miss three games last season. He finished the year with 2,992 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 65.2 completion percentage.

Per ESPN’s QBR metric, Jones’ 36.1 mark ranked 28th out of 31 qualified quarterbacks. He was ahead of only Davis Mills (33.1), Carson Wentz (32.9) and Baker Mayfield (24.5).

The Patriots did hire Bill O’Brien as their offensive coordinator for the 2023 season. He previously worked for the team from 2008 to 2011. Things didn’t get better; if anything, they continued to get worse.

New England ranked 31st in points per game (13.9). It became the first team in NFL history to lose three consecutive games in which it allowed 10 points or fewer.

Jones finished 28th out of 30 qualified quarterbacks in QBR. He was one of two players who had more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (10) with at least 10 starts.

Being able to get anything of value for Jones at this point has to be considered a win for the Patriots. It was in the best interest of both parties to move on after things spiraled out of control over the past two seasons.

Going to the Jaguars means a return home for Jones. A Jacksonville native, he attended The Bolles School before moving on to Alabama.

However, Jones enters a situation where he’s the backup without a clear path to the starting job absent an injury to the incumbent, Trevor Lawrence. Being Lawrence’s understudy for the entirety of 2024 may do little to help his overall value.