There's no hope for fresh start with Mac Jones, Patriots: 'Toxic'

A new head coach is unlikely to change Mac Jones’ Patriots reality.

SI.com’s Albert Breer wrote in a mailbag Wednesday that Jones’ relationship with the team has deteriorated beyond the point of no return, even as Jerod Mayo replaces Bill Belichick as head coach.

“It’s really hard to live down your history with an NFL team, and Jones’s with the New England Patriots is not good,” Breer wrote. “He was drafted 15th and hasn’t come close to living up to his slot. He was good as a rookie, and regressed badly since.

“He was well-liked early on, but, over time, lost support in the building. And the quarterback room he was in the last two years got toxic, to the point where Bailey Zappe, as a rookie, sometimes watched tape in the receiver room.”

After a series of in-game benchings last season, Belichick finally sat Jones for good after a 10-7 loss to the Giants in Week 12.

Explore More

Belichick had soured on Jones after a poor second season, but ESPN reported that his attempts to trade the former Alabama star were rebuffed by owner Robert Kraft and his son, team president Jonathan Kraft.

Jones notably attended Mayo’s introductory press conference, giving some thought there could be a place for him under the new regime.

“That’s a lot of wounds, some self-inflicted, some not, to try and heal — and wounds that Jerod Mayo saw surface with his own eyes as a Patriots assistant,” Breer said. “You can’t snap your fingers and make that history disappear with coaches and staff.

“What happens if Jones comes back and has some bumps in the offseason, in camp or in an early game? Everyone will point right back to the history. Which makes for a tough environment for Jones to try and move forward in, and potentially a tough spot for Mayo to dig his first team out of.”

NFL Network reported on Super Bowl Sunday that the Patriots are planning to trade the 25-year-old Jones.

It is unclear what Zappe’s future with the team will be.

The Patriots hold the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and will likely target a quarterback with that selection.

USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels are viewed as the top three quarterbacks in the draft and could potentially be the first three picks.

ncG1vNJzZmimqaW8tMCNnKamZ2Jlf3V7j2tmam1fqL2wvtOsZq2glaeytHnNqGShp6Caeqe70Wadq52jnXq0wMCrq2avmam1brnAnGSjp56awG68wK2poqekqHq1u9eimmg%3D