Did the New England Patriots "break" Mac Jones?
The third-year quarterback has regressed significantly since his promising rookie campaign. Last year's struggles were largely attributed to the dysfunctional offense led by Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, but he followed that up with an even worse 2023 season under Bill O'Brien.
Jones was benched in favor of Bailey Zappe four times before losing his starting job in Week 13. With Zappe leading the Patriots to victory in their Thursday Night Football matchup vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers, there's a chance we've seen the last of Jones under center in a Pats uniform.
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On Amazon Prime's Thursday Night Football pregame show, ex-NFL QB Ryan Fitzpatrick said Jones is "broken mentally and emotionally." Our Tom E. Curran shared his thoughts on the Jones situation during Tuesday's episode of Quick Slants.
"The question is going to linger through this offseason and when we look back with hindsight," Curran said. "How important was it to have the correct care and feeding of the quarterback? Would Mac Jones have been a better player if, in his second year, Josh McDaniels was succeeded by someone who did a better job shepherding him through his sophomore season? Meanwhile, what will the Patriots do going forward about staffing the head coaching and offensive coordinator positions for whoever comes in as quarterback?
"To me, finding the right fit, finding the right emotional maturity, finding the right mixture of good cop-bad cop is essential."
🔊 Patriots Talk: Julian Edelman on Mac, Bill and what’s next for the Patriots | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
Fitzpatrick also mentioned Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa -- his former teammate -- being "broken" with Brian Flores as his head coach. Tagovailoa has since thrived under Mike McDaniel.
"Can that happen with Mac Jones? Can the Patriots build him back up, or will it have to happen someplace else?" Curran wondered. "Most likely, it'll have to happen someplace else. But if the Patriots don't have it front and center to figure out what kind of coaching acumen and approach they want with their next quarterback, it's going to be a bad road."
As Curran notes, Jones' time in New England seems to have run its course. The Patriots enter Week 15 with the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, so they could end up with one of the top quarterbacks in the class. The biggest question is whether it will be Bill Belichick coaching next year's Patriots QB, or if owner Robert Kraft will take the franchise in a new direction after missing the playoffs for the third time in four years.
Watch the full episode of "Quick Slants" below:
