Patriots Rumors: Some With Team Expected Mac Jones To Lose Job

The Mac Jones era will continue for at least another week, but some with the Patriots reportedly thought it was over after last Sunday’s loss to the New Orleans Saints.

The third-year quarterback was wretched against New Orleans and got benched for Bailey Zappe for the second consecutive week. After back-to-back three-turnover performances, Jones looked like someone who’d run out of rope.

But Bill Belichick will start Jones in Sunday’s road game against the Las Vegas Raiders. That decision probably surprised some in the organization, according to a Thursday report from the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed and Andrew Callahan, who also offered insight into Belichick’s rationale.

“Team sources indicate Jones will start the Patriots’ game at Las Vegas primarily because their other options — a second-year backup they cut six weeks ago and a third-string journeyman (Will Grier) — are unfit,” Kyed and Callahan wrote. “Before Bill Belichick announced his decision Wednesday, members across the organization doubted Jones would get another shot. ‘How can he?’ one source asked Monday afternoon.”

This story is as much about Zappe’s failure to seize an opportunity as it is about Jones getting one more chance.

Zappe, who was cut and re-signed in late August, was worse than Jones in limited work the last two weeks. Had the second-year QB performed better, the Patriots’ Week 6 quarterback decision would’ve been “closer,” according to a Wednesday report from Jeff Howe of The Athletic.

Now, the Patriots are left with no better options than a third-year signal-caller who’s bottomed out and playing with zero confidence.

But Jones clearly is on thin ice. If he doesn’t turn things around in Vegas, he easily could lose his job. And if that happens, the Patriots reportedly would turn to Grier instead of Zappe.