How Mac Jones Felt About Patriots Releasing Veteran Quarterback

The Patriots trimmed their quarterback depth Monday.

Roughly 24 hours before the NFL's 53-man roster deadline, New England cut ties with Trace McSorley. McSorley, a 2019 sixth-round draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens, signed a one-year deal with the Patriots in mid-April and appeared in two of New England's three preseason games.

Mac Jones, who shared a quarterback room with McSorley for four months, addressed the Penn State product's Patriots release Monday during a WEEI radio interview.

"Obviously it's the tough part, this day," New England's starting quarterback said on "Jones & Mego," as transcribed by Audacy. "Obviously Trace was a great addition to our room. He definitely helped me a lot, he's an older quarterback, played on a few different teams, definitely learned a lot from him and wish him nothing but the best and all that. It's definitely a tough day, but you kind of just have to support your teammates and realize that these guys are people too. You never know when your last snap is going to be. You just hope they get another chance."

Bill Belichick surely wants to see McSorley receive another NFL opportunity as well. The hope for a smoother transition is part of the reason why the Patriots head coach is inclined to release players well ahead of the league-imposed deadline.

With McSorley out of the picture, New England's QB depth chart features Jones, sophomore Bailey Zappe and undrafted rookie Malik Cunningham.