Ex-Patriots QB Deemed Fit For Browns Next Season

The Cleveland Browns might be in search of a new quarterback next season, and they could consider bringing in a former New England Patriot to fill the gap.

The Athletic’s Browns reporter Zac Jackson identified potential quarterback options for Cleveland and suggested that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones could be a suitable fit.

“Now, the 49ers are positioned to trade Jones this offseason for a valuable asset — potentially even for a second-round pick,” Jackson wrote on Wednesday. “Jones went 5-3 this season as San Francisco’s starter and played well enough to create a trade market as the 49ers go forward with Brock Purdy. Jones has been a 66.5 percent career passer, had a strong rookie season in 2021 and a strong outing this year. He just stunk in between, as did the teams he was piloting.

“Might the Browns be interested? It’s too early to know for sure, but the thinking of any team seriously pursuing Jones would be that he looms as an experienced option at a low cost, at least initially. Maybe Jones, 27, would get a longer-term deal from a team that trades for him, or perhaps he’d get an incentive-laden raise for 2026. In either case, he’d be asked to steady the ship for his new team.”

The Browns face a tough decision this offseason: draft a quarterback early or sign a veteran like Jones to compete with Shedeur Sanders.

Whatever happens with the quarterback situation, Cleveland needs to ensure it adds a veteran quarterback to a roster filled with young quarterback talent.