NFL Writer Floats Theory On Potential QB Upgrade For Patriots

Opinions will differ, but the 2022 season has made it apparent that the New England Patriots could afford to make an upgrade at the quarterback position.

Sunday afternoon provided what was possibly the worst game of Mac Jones’ career, both in terms of his individual performance and the end result. The Patriots’ quarterback finished the walk-off loss against the Las Vegas Raiders with 112 total passing yards, completing only 13 of his 31 attempts on his way to a 12.2 QBR. There was also the incident where Raiders linebacker Chandler Jones buried him underneath the sod at Allegiant Stadium to end the game.

Of course, no one can blame Jones for not making that tackle given everything that led to it. You can, however, put some blame on his shoulders for the way he has played this season. Whether or not the situation he’s been put in alongside Matt Patricia and Joe Judge is bad, and it’s certainly not good, he hasn’t shown anything near enough to earn a guaranteed spot as the Patriots’ starter next season.

That’s why we’re here. With three weeks guaranteed on New England’s schedule, many are looking at potential upgrades for the Patriots at quarterback. One of those people is ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, who floated out a popular theory Monday.

Here’s an excerpt from Barnwell’s story looking at potential QB upgrades for NFL teams:

Most likely QB they’ll pursue: The Patriots have to at least call (Tom) Brady’s people to inquire whether he would like to return to New England to finish out his career. It would be uncomfortable to bench Jones for a 45-year-old quarterback who already has one retirement under his belt, but they can’t let a dominant defense wait for Jones or (Bailey) Zappe to catch up and improve. They could also pursue (Jimmy) Garoppolo, who was traded by New England to the 49ers just before the trade deadline in 2017.

There’s no doubt a world with Brady back in New England is a fun one, but is it likely to happen? No. The more likely scenario comes in the form of the Garoppolo idea, where the oft-casted aside QB makes his return to New England and helps rectify an admittedly horrific offensive situation.

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The Brady theory has been floated on a few occasions, but it doesn’t feel likely that Bill Belichick would welcome back a 46-year-old quarterback with open arms, especially given he has Jones and Zappe under contract for at least two more years. There’s the Zappe factor as well, though it’s become pretty clear he’s viewed as the long-term backup rather than an option to start.

The Patriots still have a chance of sneaking into the postseason, starting with a Week 16 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. That means all hands will be on deck to provide Jones with what he needs to succeed. At least that’s the way it should be — for now.