Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Jones was replaced by Bailey Zappe in Week 13. Since Bailey Zappe replaced him as the New England Patriots’ starting quarterback earlier this month, Mac Jones has faded from the spotlight. The former first-round draft pick has not seen any snaps since, and also did not have any media appearances to talk about his benching and future in the NFL. According to his offensive coordinator and position coach, however, he still has one. Speaking to reporters on a conference call on Tuesday, O’Brien expressed his belief in Jones despite him recently losing his job. “I feel good about Mac Jones. I really do,” O’Brien said. “I think Mac Jones is a smart guy. He’s a very hard worker. He’s really done a good job in this situation here of being a good teammate. Look, these are things that happen in the course of a lot of careers, right? You have some ups and downs, and he’s approached it the right way. He’s working hard, and I believe in Mac. I think Mac’s going to be just fine.” Jones arrived in New England as the 15th overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, and was able to beat out incumbent Cam Newton during his rookie training camp. But after he went on to start 17 games and lead the Patriots to the playoffs, things have started going downhill for the young quarterback. His sophomore season, which saw him adapt to a restructured offensive coaching staff led by Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, was a debacle. Jones missed time with a high ankle sprain, and even when healthy looked uncomfortable within the new-look unit. The Patriots brought in O’Brien to address the issue, but Jones’ backsliding did not just continue: it got worse to a point where he was benched on multiple occasions. When he was pulled at the half of the Patriots’ Week 12 game against the New York Giants, Jones had completed 224 of 345 pass attempts for a career-low completion rate of 64.9 percent as well as 2,120 yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The Patriots were 2-8 and that point and soon about to drop to 2-9. The next week, Zappe was elevated to the starting job. And while he too has had some ups and downs, New England has been able to win two of its four games since. Zappe has gone 80-of-117 (68.4%) for 817 yards with six TDs and two INTs since taking over — not necessarily outstanding, but a clear improvement from Jones. The door therefore seems closed for the former starter to play any more meaningful snaps again this year. As O’Brien himself pointed out last week, however, nothing is set in stone. “I think everybody’s got to be ready to play, especially in the situation that we’re in. I really do,” he said. “I think that everybody has to be ready to go. Anybody that’s on the 53-man roster really has to go out on the practice field and practice well and earn a shot to play, and that’s whether you’re a quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, running back or offensive lineman. “I know that you’ve heard that from Bill [Belichick], but that’s the truth. You have to be ready to go, because if you you practice really well, you’re going to have a real shot to play. I think that goes for every position.” Based on O’Brien’s statements, Jones returning to the lineup at one point appears to be an option. Based on the product on the field, however, it seems unlikely — both in 2023, and beyond. Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/2023/12/26/2 ... back-zappe
