Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reports the Patriots have shopped Mac Jones to several teams.
A full list of potential suitors for Jones isn't yet know. Florio said the Patriots have talked with the Raiders, Texans, Buccaneers, and Commanders about Jones this offseason, and that a trade could still happen. "The Raiders are the ones to keep watching," Florio said. "Jimmy Garoppolo‘s contract lands in the low-end of middle class for starters, and Jones has two years left under a slotted rookie deal, before his fifth-year option would apply." Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was reportedly "agitated" with Jones for his on-field tantrums during the 2022 season and for seeking outside help in improving the struggling Pats offense. "That really pissed Bill off," NBC Sports' Tom Curran said. It's possible the Patriots would take a quarterback in the 2023 draft if they deal Jones, as Bailey Zappe doesn't profile as anyone's idea of a long-term starter.
NBC Sports' Tom Curran believes Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was "agitated" with Mac Jones for seeking outside help in 2022.
Belichick was reportedly unhappy with Jones' constant on-field screaming and gesticulating, and was particularly put off by Jones going outside the team for "counsel" on how to improve New England's lifeless offense. "That really pissed Bill off," Curran said. "Disloyalty, I think, in Bill's mind, is almost worse than bad play." Seeking advice from outside Patriots headquarters was widely seen as showing up Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, a bumbling duo with no previous offensive experience before inexplicably taking charge of the team's offense last offseason. Last week, Belichick refused to commit to Jones as New England's 2023 starter, opening the door for a training camp battle between Jones and Bailey Zappe, who has limited success in two 2022 starts. While Jones is clearly the superior option, he's going to have to get back into Belichick's good graces in the coming months.