The New England Patriots had an unforgettable 2023 season. They finished with a 4-13 record and fired Bill Belichick and replaced him with former player and assistant coach Jerod Mayo.
New England is going to have a busy offseason. One of their offseason moves is deciding whether to exercise or decline the 5th-year option of their quarterback.
The New England Patriots plan on declining their quarterback’s 5th-year option
The Patriots were looking to draft a quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft to replace Tom Brady, who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They used their 15th pick to draft Mac Jones in the 1st round. Unfortunately, that experiment will (likely) end as they plan on declining his 5th-year option worth $23 million and are open to trading the QB.
Here’s what Jones did in his first three seasons.
His rookie season
Mac Jones had an excellent rookie season. He completed 352 out of 521 pass attempts for 3,801 yards and threw 22 touchdowns to 13 interceptions, with a 10-7 record.
New England clinched the 6th seed in the AFC and lost to Buffalo 17-47 in the Wild Card. Jones completed 24 out of 38 pass attempts for 232 yards and threw two touchdowns to two interceptions in that game.
He made his first Pro Bowl and was second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.
Unfortunately, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels left New England to be the head coach of Las Vegas for the 2022 season. Former head coach and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia replaced Josh McDaniels in offensive play-calling duties.
His second season
Mac Jones struggled in his second season. Jones suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 3 and missed the next three weeks. He returned in Week 7 and finished the rest of the season as the starting quarterback. He completed 288 out of 442 pass attempts for 2,997 yards and threw 14 touchdowns to 11 interceptions, with a 6-8 record.
New England went 8-9 and didn’t make the playoffs.
New England moved on from Matt Patricia and hired former head coach and offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien to take over play-calling duties.
His third season
Mac Jones struggled even more in his third season. Jones started the first 11 games of the regular season. He completed 224 out of 345 pass attempts for 2,120 yards and threw ten touchdowns to 12 interceptions, with a 2-9 record.
He got benched in four out of the 11 games that he started in, and New England named Bailey Zappe, the starting quarterback for their last six games.
New England has the 3rd pick in the 2024 draft.
The Patriots will have the 3rd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and probably draft a QB with a pick.
What now for Jones?
Mac Jones’ future with New England and the NFL remains a mystery. Will he stay in New England and accept a backup role, or will he get traded during the offseason?
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