Patriots Rumors: Mac Jones Lost ‘Vast Majority’ Of Locker Room

It’s not yet clear whether the Patriots will make a quarterback change after their Week 11 bye. But there’s very little support for Mac Jones left in New England’s locker room.

That’s according to a report Wednesday from the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan, whose sources painted a picture of the team’s dwindling faith in its starting QB.

From the Herald:

“After he was benched for a second time this season during a Week 5 loss to New Orleans, several members of the organization lost faith in Mac Jones. But now, after getting benched for a third time last Sunday in Germany, Jones’ support is vanishing.

“One team source estimated that at least 80% of the Patriots’ locker room is out on Jones. Another said the ‘vast majority’ of players are done with him. Both said the lack of belief spreads to both sides of the ball, with a shared sense that Jones’ worst mistakes negate the best efforts of his teammates.”

Jones was benched late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Germany after throwing an awful red-zone interception. Backup Bailey Zappe replaced him for the final drive and threw a baffling pick of his own to end the game.

Head coach Bill Belichick addressed the media four times between the end of Sunday’s game and Tuesday morning, including his weekly radio interview on WEEI. In all four, he said the team had yet to determine which QB would start next Sunday against the New York Giants. Jones said Tuesday afternoon that he hadn’t been told one way or the other.

If the Patriots did permanently bench Jones, their options to replace him would be Zappe, who struggled in all three of his relief appearances; veteran third-stringer Will Grier, who hadn’t appeared in a regular-season game since 2019; and undrafted rookie Malik Cunningham, who splits his time between QB and wide receiver on the practice squad.