Mac Jones knows his time may be up in New England.
The Patriots have essentially made it clear they have no use for the former first-round pick, even making him inactive for Sunday’s season-ending loss to the Jets, and Jones knows he may need to leave New England if he wants to reignite his NFL career.
“I have a lot of respect for Mr. Kraft and his family and what they’ve built here and the Patriots,” Jones told reporters Monday, according to Boston.com. “At the end of the day, a lot of that is out of my control, but I hope they realize that I’m going to compete and I’m going to do that wherever I’m at on any NFL team whether it’s here or somewhere else.”
Jones, 25, has had quite the fall from grace since being selected by the Patriots as the heir apparent to Tom Brady with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
He led the Patriots to the playoffs in his rookie year, fueling chatter the Patriots would not miss a beat, but that has proven to be the highlight of his career thus far.
Jones was benched in-game multiple times this season before the Patriots finally turned to backup Bailey Zappe as its starting quarterback.
Sunday’s 17-3 loss to the Jets featured the indignity of Jones being demoted to third-string behind a quarterback most people have never heard of in Nathan Rourke.
Jones took the high road in discussing the final few weeks of the season in which he watched from the bench.
“I feel like I’ve made progress these past couple weeks,” Jones said, per Boston.com. “I’ve been here early, left late. A lot of people would have just said I’m done and I’m not going to do that.
“I’ve worked out hard and put on seven-eight pounds of muscle in the last couple of weeks here. That’s where I’m at right now, and that’s why I’m looking forward to the next opportunity. I know it’s going to come, but as a quarterback and competitor you’ve got to be ready right? So, I’m going to be ready.”
The Patriots hold the third pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and logic would dictate they select a quarterback.
Even if they pass on selecting a quarterback, they will not be running it back with the Zappe and Jones duo. That makes Jones easily replaceable.
The Patriots would certainly look to trade him rather than release him for nothing.
While it’s possible a new coach could have a different view of Jones, his play has not inspired any reason for a new coach to hitch his wagon to the former Alabama product.
“Obviously I have a lot of respect for the people in this locker room, and that’s where it starts,” Jones said, according to Boston.com. “I feel like I let people down with my play. A lot of that stuff is in my control and some of it is not. So, I’m going to do everything I can for my next opportunity whether that’s here and really just push forward and continue to be Mac.
“That’s what it’s all about. Don’t let that waver.”