Top NFL Insiders Offer Takes On Patriots’ Plans For Mac Jones

The 2023 season started with a fair amount of optimism for the Patriots. There was hope that Mac Jones would turn a corner and look like a franchise quarterback.

Well, four weeks in, many fans and pundits once again are ready to run Jones out of town.

That's not necessarily fair, as Bill Belichick, not Jones, deserves most of the blame for the current state of the Patriots. But the reactions are understandable after Jones put on a career-worst performance and was benched in Sunday's disastrous road loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

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But what are New England's short- and long-term plans for the 2021 first-round pick?

Will Jones start this Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, as Belichick said he would? And even if Jones starts for the rest of the campaign, could the Patriots look to make a change during the offseason?

Some of the NFL's top insiders already offered insight into those dilemmas.

Jones' Week 5 status
Ian Rapoport gave his take during a Monday morning NFL Network appearance.

"The quarterback play needs to get better," Rapoport said. "That's obvious. This is a little bit alarming, though, right? Because I know all the questions, like, 'Is Mac Jones gonna get benched?' Bailey Zappe was exposed to waivers earlier this year right around the 53-man cutdown day. That was a surprise, but it was also an indication of the Patriots being like, 'Well, if someone else grabs him, that will be OK.' That was alarming, too. It's going to be Mac Jones unless something crazy happens, as far as I can tell, guys. ... It does seem like it's going to be him or nothing if the Patriots are going to succeed this year."

Patriots' offseason plans
In a column published Sunday night, ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote it's "not an overreaction" to suggest New England could replace Jones next spring.

"The Patriots will have to decide by May 2 on Jones' fifth-year option for 2025, and if they continue to look this way on offense, they're probably going to be looking around at other options, even if they stick with him for another year. I'm not necessarily worried about Jones getting benched for Zappe moving forward. Remember there was a whole Jones-Zappe thing last year, and it didn't stick. Zappe hasn't shown much either.

"It does need to be stated here that every quarterback (other than Arizona's Joshua Dobbs) who has faced the Cowboys so far this year has looked dreadful. And the Patriots still have three-quarters of a season for Jones to keep working with new coordinator Bill O'Brien and make some advancements. But if he doesn't? Yeah, I have to think a whole bunch of stuff is on the table in New England next spring."

Ultimately, Jones still has an opportunity to prove he's the future in New England. There's a lot of season left, and it would be a major surprise if the Patriots turn to anyone else in the near future.

But the results must get better, and in a hurry. Jones will look for a rebound this Sunday when the Patriots and Saints kick off from Gillette Stadium at 1 p.m. ET.