Report: Bill Belichick, New England Patriots shopped QB Mac Jones following rollercoaster sophomore season

On3 imageby:Nick Schultz04/04/23

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New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones
Photo by Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images

The offseason saga involving Bill Belichick and Mac Jones has taken a new turn. It turns out Belichick has “shopped” Jones to potential trade suitors, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported.

Belichick has shopped Jones to “multiple” teams throughout the offseason. Although a list of teams isn’t clear, Florio said some potential options were the Las Vegas Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Houston Texans and Washington Commanders.

Florio added that although a trade hasn’t happened, “that doesn’t mean it won’t happen.”

Reports surfaced earlier in the offseason saying Jones is “rubbing people the wrong way” in the New England Patriots locker room after struggles during his second season in the league last year. That led to a defense from Devin McCourty, who pointed to the situation involving Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo in 2014.

“I’d like to remind people in New England in 2014 it was put Jimmy Garoppolo in, get Tom Brady out, it’s over,” McCourty said Feb. 27. “2022, he just retired and everyone is sitting there like he threw 50-something passes almost 60 passes his last game. He could really play. “So, I wouldn’t go too hard off what the people in New England are saying.”

New England drafted Jones with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Alabama and he turned in an impressive rookie season. He threw for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.

But his second year didn’t go as well as he totaled 2,997 yards and 11 touchdowns as Bailey Zappe burst onto the scene. The rookie out of Western Kentucky led the Patriots to their two highest-scoring games of the year as he threw for 781 yards and five touchdowns in four games. There were a few factors in play, though, including the coaching staff changes. Josh McDaniels left to become the head coach of the Raiders and Belichick opted to let Matt Patricia and Joe Judge split the play-calling duties.

Still, questions arose about whether there’s a “massive gap” between Jones and Zappe, according to Sports Illustrated and MMQB’s Albert Breer.

“I think they would,” Breer said of whether the Patriots would hear offers for Jones, via NBC Sports Boston’s Justin Leger. “Internally, I don’t know if they see this massive gap between Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe. I’m not saying they think Bailey’s as good as Mac, but there was some element of Bailey doing what he was coached to do last year that I think gave Bailey the edge to some degree for a little while there.

“So I think it’ll be interesting to see what would happen if a real offer came along. I don’t think a real offer is going to come along, but it’d be interesting to see what would happen if a real offer did come along.”

But now, Belichick has another play-caller in town — and a familiar face, at that. Bill O’Brien is taking over as offensive coordinator, and he worked with Jones for one year at Alabama before he went to the draft. According to a MassLive report from January, Jones “is looking forward to working with coach O’Brien.”