The Mac Jones experiment in New England might be over… for now.
During the media portion of practice on Wednesday, Bailey Zappe took most of the quarterback reps. Malik Cunningham followed Zappe, getting work in at quarterback.
In addition, wide receiver Demario “Pop” Douglas was missing after leaving Sunday’s game early due to a concussion. Douglas has already missed time this season due to a head injury. With him missing practice his availability against the Chargers is already in doubt.
Along with Douglas, veteran Ty Montgomery was absent from practice for undisclosed reasons.
Reporters spotted Quarterback Will Grier at practice after reportedly returning to the practice squad on Tuesday. The Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed reported the Patriots signed receiver Matthew Sexton to the practice squad on Wednesday morning.
Bill Belichick wouldn’t give any insight on the quarterback depth chart during the week.
“I’m not going to make any announcements on our lineup at any position,” Belichick told reporters.
The decision not to have Mac throw during practice is a big development in the quarterback saga. The third-year quarterback has struggled this season and is first in turnover-worthy plays and third in interceptions in the NFL. The Patriots decided to bench Jones for the fourth time against the Giants last Sunday.
In East Rutherford, the Patriot pulled the former Alabama quarterback at halftime. Jones threw two interceptions and failed to lead his offense to a score. The former first-round pick finished 12-of-21 for 89 yards.
After the game, Belichick, per usual, was tight-lipped on his decision to play both quarterbacks.
The Patriots drafted Mac Jones in the 2021 draft, and the selection looked promising, with Mac Jones taking the Patriots to the playoffs in 2021. Jones’s rookie year was his strongest statically, completing 67.6% of his throws for 3,801 yards, recording 22 touchdowns with 13 interceptions.
When asked if he was put in an unfair position, Mac gave a short answer, but when pressed on the question, he gave a longer response.
“It’s my job to play well regardless of the circumstances. There’s no excuse not to. I had a few bad throws,” Jones said. “I wasn’t on the same page with the offense today,” he said. “I’m an NFL quarterback. It’s my job to go out there and play well. I need to do a better job of that. It is what it is.”
Bailey Zappe is in line to become the starter, and the fourth-round pick has appeared in seven games as a rookie, starting two games; however, this year, the Western Kentucky product has appeared four times. Zappe won both his starts last season, those coming against the Lions and the Browns.
In his Wednesday morning press conference, Bill Belichick was pressed about the Patriot’s quarterback situation and why he keeps giving Mac Jones starting opportunities.
“Look, every player, whatever opportunities they have, need to do the best with them that they can – practice, games, even in meetings and other preparation opportunities,” Belichick said.
My name is Ben Belford-Peltzman and I am the creator and writer of The Patriots Beat. I am a 17-year kid who is an optimistic pessimist about the City of Champions. I started The Patriots Beat in August of 2022 and never expected to grow so much but here we are. Feel free to email Thepatriotsbeat@gmail.com with any inquires.
