When the Patriots told Mac Jones they were trading him
Mac Jones had some notice.
On Sunday, the Patriots traded Jones — the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft — to the Jaguars for a sixth-round pick.
According to a column published Monday by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Jones knew he was going to be traded.
“The Patriots told Mac Jones after the combine (first week of March) of their intention to trade him and even asked the quarterback what he wanted to do,” Breer wrote.
“After working through that and shopping him all week, New England found a suitor in the Jacksonville Jaguars.”
The trade should not come as a shock to any Patriots fans, who watched the 25-year-old Jones struggle all season before being benched for the final six weeks.
The former Alabama star threw for 2,120 yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 11 games this past season, as he continued to take massive steps back from a promising rookie season.
Jones, who is from the Jacksonville area, will head home and backup Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the first quarterback taken in the 2021 draft.
While the trade is being reported, it hasn’t become official yet. Trades don’t go into effect until the new league year, which begins on Wednesday.
Now, the Patriots need to do some quarterback shopping.
Boston.com reported that Baker Mayfield had some fans on the Patriots staff, but the veteran quarterback agreed to a three-year, $100 million extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
That takes an intriguing free-agent veteran off the board, but taking a quarterback with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft remains the most likely option for the Patriots and first-year head coach Jerod Mayo.
The Bears are expected to take Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick, leaving either North Carolina’s Drake Maye or LSU’s Jayden Daniels available at No. 3 depending on what the Commanders do with the second selection.
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