Could Patriots Trade Mac Jones? NFL General Manager Floats Theory

Are we witnessing the beginning of the end for Mac Jones with the Patriots?

When Monday night’s game at Gillette Stadium kicked off, it looked like New England was back to business as usual with Jones behind center. But after only two series against the Chicago Bears, Jones was replaced by rookie Bailey Zappe, who quarterbacked the Patriots the rest of the way in their atrocious primetime loss. It remains to be seen who will start at signal-caller for New England this Sunday in the Meadowlands, and there’s reason to believe Jones no longer is gung-ho about playing for Bill Belichick’s team.

Jason La Canfora assessed the Patriots’ quarterback mess on the latest episode of the “In The Huddle” podcast. Within his segment, the NFL insider relayed a noteworthy take he heard from an anonymous general manager.

“Bill Belichick has now created a quarterback controversy,” La Canfora said, as transcribed by Audacy. “I don’t think you go back to Mac Jones. I don’t know why you would. He’s been an inefficient, ineffective player this year.”

La Canfora added: “There will be a market for him. There are a lot of bad quarterbacks in the league right now.

“That’s where I think it’s headed. I talked to a GM this morning. He was pretty adamant that, ‘I think Mac Jones will be available by the combine one way or the other, whether Bailey Zappe looks like he’s the answer or whether Bailey Zappe doesn’t.”

For what it’s worth, someone far more familiar than La Canfora with the inner workings at One Patriot Place has a different read on this situation. Former Patriots running back James White, who was with the team as recently as March, believes Jones is “still the guy” in New England.