'I'm not going to speculate wildly'
Folks hoping for an update on Mac Jones’ status Monday morning didn’t get one from Bill Belichick.
The New England Patriots head coach said he had nothing to share on the leg injury Jones suffered on the final offensive snap of Sunday’s 37-26 loss to the Baltimore Ravens at Gillette Stadium.
“No update on him,” Belichick said in a video conference. “We’ll go through the process and see where things are this morning. But nothing definitive at this point.”
Multiple reports Sunday night indicated Jones’ injury is believed to be a high ankle sprain, which, if confirmed by an MRI, likely would sideline him for multiple weeks.
“I already made a statement on that,” Belichick replied when asked about those reports. “I’m not going to make wild speculation.”
Belichick offered a similar response when asked if Jones could be placed on injured reserve.
“I just answered that question,” he said. “Until we get more information, I’m not going speculate wildly on what it would or wouldn’t be.”
A move to IR would sideline Jones for at least four games, leaving the Patriots with Brian Hoyer and fourth-round rookie Bailey Zappe at the quarterback position. Belichick kept his answers brief when asked about both of Jones’ backups.
On Hoyer: “Brian’s got a lot of experience in the offense.”
On Zappe: “He’s gotten a lot better.”
Hoyer, a 14-year NFL veteran in his third stint with the Patriots, last started a game in Week 4 of the 2020 season. Zappe has yet to play an official NFL snap, sitting out each of the first three games as a healthy scratch.
The Patriots will visit Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers this Sunday in their first trip to Lambeau Field since 2014.