Patriots "open" to trading Mac Jones, already fielding phone calls

BOSTON -- The writing has kind of been on the wall for the end of the Mac Jones era in New England. And apparently, wheels are already in motion.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport tweeted Friday afternoon that the Patriots are "open" to trading away their quarterback, adding that "teams have been calling them and doing work on the former starter."

That much has largely been assumed, but confirmation from Rapoport adds a certain level of heft. It also might correlate to some actual movement being imminent.

Jones, 25, was drafted 15th overall by the Patriots in 2021, when he beat out Cam Newton in training camp for the starting job. Jones had one of the better rookie seasons for a quarterback in NFL history, throwing for 3,800 yards with 22 touchdowns and making a Pro Bowl (as an alternate). But his career took a turn in year two, when Bill Belichick employed Matt Patricia and Joe Judge to run the offense.

Jones got a second chance to get his career back on track in 2023, when veteran play-caller Bill O'Brien was brought in as offensive coordinator for New England. Yet Jones improbably played even worse, going 2-9 and throwing just 10 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. Three of those interceptions were returned for touchdowns, and Jones was benched for Bailey Zappe multiple times throughout the year. In Week 18, Jones was inactive, only in uniform as the emergency third quarterback.

The market for Jones certainly won't be robust, as the Patriots may only be able to recoup a fifth- or maybe a fourth-round pick, given how low Jones' stock is. Yet trading him away sooner than later would allow the quarterback room to completely reset in an offseason where the team is expected to draft the next quarterback of the future with the third overall pick.