Patriots owner has firm stance on Mac Jones trade rumors
Aug 12, 2021; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones 10) throws the ball during a game against the Washington Football Team at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Mac Jones took a step back last season after having a successful rookie season for the New England Patriots. His lack of improvement coupled with the presence of Bailey Zappe and availability of some free agent quarterbacks has led to some rumors that the Pats could consider trading Jones. That possibility does not seem to be high on their list.
When asked about the rumors during an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show” this week, Patriots reporter Tom E. Curran shut things down.
“Absolutely, positively not,” Curran said of the Pats trading Jones. “That would happen over Robert Kraft’s dead body.”
Curran did caution that if Jones had a mediocre 2023 season, then the team’s thinking might change.
Seems like half of the #NFL might be in the QB market this offseason but @tomecurran told us, despite all the online chatter, the #Patriots are good with Mac Jones:#NFLCombine #NFLFreeAgency #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/wOavLYQWbQ
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) February 22, 2023
Patriots owner Robert Kraft went on record with FOX Business prior to the Super Bowl and shared his support for the young quarterback.
“We are blessed to have a great young quarterback in Mac Jones as our quarterback. I’m a strong believer in him and his development,” Kraft told Neil Cavuto.
The easy thing to point to as the reason for Jones’ struggles last season is the coaching. The Patriots did not have an experienced offensive coordinator in 2022. Jones’ behavior in response to the team’s struggles was unacceptable, but New England wants to see what he can do next season under Bill O’Brien.
Plus, when you consider that Jones costs under $5 million in both of the next two seasons, it makes sense for the Patriots to try and make things work with him. In a world where Derek Carr wants $35 million, seeing what Jones can do next season for $4.2 million makes sense.