6 Patriots Playing Their Last Game With the Team on Sunday
By Randy Gurzi
1. Mac Jones, QB
The 15th overall pick in 2021 out of Alabama, Mac Jones felt like the perfect fit for Bill Belichick's offense. He was essentially a point guard in college who got the ball out in a hurry and didn't make game-killing mistakes.
As a rookie, he continued that pattern as he led the Patriots to a 10-7 record. They lost early in the playoffs but he still gave them hope that they could continue to contend. That hope faded fast when he had a lackluster 2022 campaign.
Jones started 14 games and the Pats were 6-8 with him under center. He saw his completion percentage, yards per attempt, and touchdown-to-interception ratio all go in the wrong direction. Then in 2023, the wheels fell off.
New England is just 2-9 with Jones under center and he has more picks (12) than touchdowns(10). He also has done himself no favors when it looked as though he was overly disgusted with Bailey Zappe for throwing interceptions in the loss to Buffalo. No one wants to see their team turn the ball over but to show no support for a teammate when you weren't any better is a rough look.
Still under his rookie contract, Jones is slated to be on the roster in 2024. But even if Belichick is gone, it's hard to see him getting another shot with this franchise.