Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio raised eyebrows by claiming the New England Patriots are shopping Mac Jones.
However, another reporter pushed back against those rumors.
MassLive’s Mark Daniels spoke to three different sources, all of whom said they’ve heard nothing about the Patriots attempting to move the quarterback.
“One NFL source said they hadn’t heard anything about the Patriots shopping Jones to any team this offseason, adding, ‘That’s news to me,'” Daniels wrote. “A second NFL source said the Patriots haven’t contacted the Buccaneers about Jones, saying his name ‘has never come up’ this offseason. A third NFL source said the Patriots have not contacted the Raiders about a trade involving Jones, either.”
I talked to three NFL sources about the Patriots ‘shopping’ Mac Jones.
One said “That’s news to me.” A second said the Pats haven’t contacts the Bucs. A third said the Pats haven’t reached out to the Raiders about Jones, either.
It doesn’t add up to me: https://t.co/I1aqjwMocf
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) April 4, 2023
Florio listed the Buccaneers, Raiders, Texans, and Commanders as “potential destinations” for Jones. Daniels’ sources disputed two of those landing spots, and Houston seems poised to draft a quarterback with the No. 2 pick.
Daniels argued that trading Jones on a rookie contract makes little sense because the Patriots don’t know if Bailey Zappe could prove a better option. They’d likely have to trade up from pick No. 14 to draft Anthony Richardson or another well-regarded quarterback.
Furthermore, Bill Belichick revamped his coaching staff by hiring offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien from Alabama, Jones’ alma mater.
Jones led the Patriots to the playoffs as a rookie, but his quarterback rating dropped from 92.5 to 84.8 in his second season. New England scored a season-high 38 points with Zappe under center in Week 6.
Yet Jones tossed seven of his 14 touchdowns in last season’s final three games, and Patriots owner Rober Kraft said he’s “a big fan” of the former first-round pick.