Mike Florio Has Theory About Bill Belichick Sticking With Mac Jones

When the Patriots benched Mac Jones with the game on the line in Germany, it felt like New England couldn't go back to the 2021 first-rounder unless it absolutely needed to.

But sure enough, it was Jones who got the nod for the Patriots' Week 12 matchup with the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Head coach Bill Belichick even took a potential replacement out of the equation Saturday when the organization released Will Grier.

Jones performed as expected out of the gate, completing five of his first 11 pass attempts for only 38 yards with no touchdowns and a bad interception. The ugly pick prompted Mike Florio to air out a theory on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"I'm starting to think Bill Belichick is still playing Mac Jones as a middle finger both to Jones and to ownership," the Pro Football Talk founder posted Sunday afternoon.

Florio's take isn't recklessly outlandish, as Belichick has made a number of apparently spiteful decisions in New England since taking over at the helm in 2000. But if we're talking about who gives the Patriots the best chance to win, it's probably still Jones. Bailey Zappe was awful in all of his relief appearances to date and Malik Cunningham hasn't taken quarterback reps in practice since Week 6.

That being said, one can easily argue New England shouldn't be trying to win at this juncture. Stacking up losses has put the Patriots in a position to land a top 2024 draft pick, which can be used to take Jones out of the picture for good.