Mac Jones suffered a high ankle sprain and is deciding his next move. Will he choose surgery, or will he go the traditional route of rest and recuperation?
If it’s the latter, he could be out of commission for six-to-eight weeks.
It would be a major blow to the season if Jones goes on IR, while Brian Hoyer would start for the 1-2 Patriots in Sunday’s road game against the Green Bay Packers.
If this is the case, the Patriots realistically could be well out of the playoff race by the time Jones is ready to return. The reason has more to do with the lack of continuity and consistency this roster has with each other, and the team would need more skill to take the burden off Hoyer, a respected leader, but not a feared quarterback.
Jimmy Garoppolo would have been a trade topic if he didn’t just recommit to the 49ers, and if Trey Lance wasn’t out for the season. But the Patriots will most likely sign another QB to the team and probably add them to the active roster while Jones is healing.
New England may opt to roll with rookie Bailey Zappe and his upside if they feel Jones is out long enough for their season to possibly be over. Hoyer is good for a game or two, or even a quarter to spell an injured QB.
But relying on him for six-to-eight weeks is something not many teams would do. So if the Patriots think they will lose regardless, why not go with the youthful arm talent? It wouldn’t be the first time Belichick turned to a young kid to take over for a former first-round pick.
