The New England Patriots closed a chapter in their history when Jerrod Mayo officially replaced Bill Belichick as the club's head coach in January.
Most NFL insiders and reporters expect New England to move on from quarterback Mac Jones at some point this offseason, but new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt suggested during his introductory press conference on Wednesday that Jones could still have a future with the organization. .
“Right now, everything is on the table,” Van Pelt said of the club's quarterback situation, per Michael Hurley of CBS News Boston and Charyn Williams of Pro Football Talk. “Right now, everything is on the table, and we're still working through that process. When that time comes, I'm sure it will be a collaborative effort and we'll make the right decisions.”
Jones, a 2021 first-round pick, earned a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie but never attempted to recapture his best form over the past two seasons. Most recently, the 25-year-old spent the final six competitions of the 2023 campaign as a spectator after being pulled from matches four times over the course of 11 weeks.
Rumors surfaced during last season claiming Jones was missing members of the locker room even before his final benching. Then it was reported last week that he was part of what was a “toxic” quarterback room during Belichick's final two years in charge. Jones' stock has fallen so much that he believes New England might be lucky to land a fourth-round draft pick in exchange for his services this spring.
Meanwhile, folks like CBS Sports' Ryan Wilson and ESPN's Field Yates routinely predict the Patriots will use the No. 3 overall pick of this year's draft to replace Jones.
“The most important thing is that there are some good pieces in place,” Van Pelt added. “I think the best thing for everyone is to have a fresh start for everyone. I've already talked to a couple of the guys. We're going to come in with a clean slate, no expectations or preconceived notions about who these guys are and then we're going to build it from the ground up. But it's exciting to have the opportunity to do it.”
Former Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien adopted a similar “fresh start” mantra last season, but it wasn't enough to fix Jones. Neither Van Pelt nor anyone else within the organization has anything to gain from vilifying Jones, but it appears the “fresh start” the signal-caller needs this time around involves leaving New England.
