Does This Mac Jones Announcement Mean Anything For Patriots’ QB Question?

FOXBORO, Mass. — On Tuesday, multiple Patriots offensive captains fielded questions about the team’s unanswered quarterback questions.

We should hear Mac Jones’ take on that mystery Wednesday.

The Patriots announced Jones is expected to address reporters the day before Thanksgiving as New England prepares for its Sunday afternoon matchup against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.

Scheduling a news conference involving Jones could be viewed as a hint toward the team’s plan behind center, as the starting QB typically holds court with reporters each week.

That isn’t always the case, however. Last October, Zappe spoke at the podium during the lead-up to New England’s Week 7 game against the Chicago Bears, and Jones wound up starting. Zappe relieved him in the second quarter, and the Patriots went on to lose 33-14 on “Monday Night Football.”

The Patriots’ media schedule also is subject to change — and often does.

Head coach Bill Belichick on Tuesday declined to name a starter for this weekend’s contest, saying only that he expects Jones, Bailey Zappe, Will Grier and Malik Cunningham all to be “ready to go.”

“I’ll let you know on Sunday,” Belichick said.

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Jones has been the Patriots’ primary starter since the beginning of his rookie year in 2021, but his job is in jeopardy after he was benched for the third time this season in New England’s 10-6 loss to Indianapolis in Germany.

Zappe performed even worse than Jones in his three relief appearances, completing 40% of his passes and throwing an ugly interception into triple coverage to end the Colts game.

Grier hasn’t appeared in a regular-season game since 2019 and has been unable to overtake Zappe on the depth chart since arriving in September, with the vast majority of his practice reps coming with the scout team.

Cunningham, who’s on the practice squad, has played six NFL snaps and is not a full-time QB, also working at receiver and on special teams as a New England rookie.