The New England Patriots are trading quarterback Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Jaguars reportedly are sending a sixth-round draft pick to the Patriots in exchange for Jones.
Jones, who was born and raised in Jacksonville, will get a fresh start after a rough start to his NFL career with New England. The deal cannot be officially processed until the new NFL year starts Wednesday and is pending Jones’s passing a physical. Four teams were in the mix for Jones, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, although the Jags had the only legitimate offer as of Saturday, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports.
After winning a national championship with Alabama to cap the 2020 season, Jones was selected with the No. 15 pick in the 2021 NFL draft but has struggled for the most part as a pro.
This past season alone, he was benched on several occasions and finished the season with 2,120 passing yards and just 10 touchdown passes to 12 interceptions. He registered a 2–9 record in his 11 starts, and the Patriots finished the season at the bottom of the AFC East with a 4–13 mark.
Jones compiled an 18–24 record in 42 starts with the Patriots. He completed 66.1% of his passes in three seasons for 8,918 yards with 46 touchdown passes and 36 interceptions. Now Jones heads back home, where he’ll likely serve as Trevor Lawrence’s backup.