Mac Jones Demoted To Third String For Patriots Season Finale

FOXBORO, Mass. -- Mac Jones will serve as the Patriots' third-string quarterback for what could be his final game with the franchise.

New England demoted Jones for Sunday's season finale against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium. Nathan Rourke will serve as Bailey Zappe's primary backup, with Jones designated as the Patriots' emergency third QB.

Per NFL rules, Jones only can play if both Zappe and Rourke exit the game with injuries. It's the first healthy inactive of the 2021 first-round draft pick's NFL career.

Jones started the Patriots' first 11 games, then backed up Zappe for the next five, with Will Grier and then Rourke filling the third spot on the depth chart. The Patriots are 2-9 this season in games Jones started and 2-3 since turning to Zappe in Week 13.

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Head coach Bill Belichick praised Zappe for his resilience this week but sidestepped a question about whether he believes Jones still can be a starting NFL quarterback.

“I’ll hold off on any evaluations on anybody,” Belichick said Friday. “I don’t think that’s really appropriate right now. We’re just, as a team, trying to focus for the Jets and our last game here and just play our best game of the year. We’ll just leave it at that.”

Jones has one year remaining on his Patriots contract and theoretically could return next season, especially if a potential new coaching regime believes he can recapture the potential he showed as a rookie. But a fresh start elsewhere seems best for both sides after back-to-back dysfunctional campaigns for the former Alabama star.

Keeping Jones off the field Sunday removed the risk of an injury that could complicate a possible offseason trade.

Zappe has two years left on his rookie deal. Rourke, a former Canadian Football League standout, was claimed off waivers from Jacksonville on Dec. 18. The 25-year-old admitted he had difficulty picking up New England's offense, but he evidently made enough progress to leapfrog Jones.

The following players rounded out New England's inactive list for Week 18:

WR Tyquan Thornton
S Joshuah Bledsoe
TE La'Michael Pettway
RB JaMycal Hasty
DL Sam Roberts
OT Trent Brown

Brown was ruled out Friday due to an illness that prevented him from practicing this week. Thornton was added to the injury report Friday and will miss his sixth game of the season. It was a disappointing sophomore campaign for the 2022 second-rounder, who finished with just 13 catches for 91 yards and no touchdowns in nine appearances.

Pettway was promoted from the practice squad Saturday following tight end Hunter Henry's move to injured reserve, but he won't play against the Jets. Pettway, Bledsoe, Hasty and Roberts are healthy scratches.

Starting safety Jabrill Peppers returned to the lineup after missing two games with a hamstring injury.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET in snowy Foxboro, Mass.