Patriots announce Mac Jones trade to Jacksonville Jaguars

FOXBORO -- That's a wrap on the Mac Jones era in New England. The Patriots officially announced that they have traded the quarterback to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday.

The release said that the Patriots are receiving a 2024 NFL Draft pick for Jones, but did not specify which pick the team will receive from Jacksonville. The deal was initially reported on Sunday with the Pats and Jags discussing a sixth-round pick in exchange for Jones, whom New England drafted with the 15th overall selection in 2021

Jones will now head home to Jacksonville, and he said Thursday it's always been a dream of his to play for the Jags. He'll now back up 2021 top overall pick Trevor Lawrence. 

His once-promising career in New England ends after three seasons, concluding with a disastrous 2023 season for Jones and the Patriots.

"I have all the respect in the world for those guys up there," Jones said of the Patriots when talking with reporters in Jacksonville. "I can't thank them enough. We kind of just decided the mutual parting of ways was the best decision for both of us. For me it was just about moving on and getting back home, and I couldn't be more excited. For them, it's about moving forward and turning the page. So really, that's what we decided, and I think it's a great decision."  

Jones said he had "a lot of great learning experiences" in New England, which included learning under Bill Belichick, whom Jones called "one of the greatest of all time."

"Every experience is a good experience if you learn from it," Jones added. "I don't have regrets. I feel like I put everything out there and gave a lot to that organization, and they gave a lot to me. I'm going to do the same thing here."

Jones was once seen as New England's quarterback of the future after he beat out Cam Newton in training camp and went into his rookie season as the team's starter. He had training wheels on for much of the campaign but completed 67.6 of his passes for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions for a 92.5 passer rating. He helped guide the Patriots to a 10-7 record and a playoff berth, finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, and even made the Pro Bowl that year as an injury replacement.

New England was 9-4 and in first place in the AFC when the team hit its bye week that season. That was as good as it got for Jones and the Patriots.

The wheels started to really fall off in 2022 after Josh McDaniels left for Las Vegas and Bill Belichick put Matt Patricia and Joe Judge in charge of the team's offense. Jones struggled in the new system behind a shoddy offensive line, throwing five interceptions over the first three weeks, and clashed with his coaches. He suffered an ankle injury at the end of the team's Week 3 loss to the Ravens that forced him to miss the next three games, and Bailey Zappe led the Patriots to a 2-1 record in Jones' absence.

Jones struggled in his return in Week 7 and was benched for Zappe in the second quarter of an embarrassing Monday Night Football loss to the Chicago Bears at Gillette Stadium. He went on to win his next three starts, but Jones had several on-field tantrums as the offense's struggles continued to get worse, and the Patriots finished the season at 8-9.

Things were supposed to be better with Bill O'Brien taking over at offensive coordinator in 2023, but Jones struggled with his consistently and the offense struggled to put points on the board. The quarterback was clearly in his own head, and Jones racked up a handful of backbreaking interceptions that led to four in-game benchings by Belichick. Jones was benched for good in early December after throwing two interceptions in the first half of a 10-7 loss to the New York Giants, which sent the Patriots to 2-9 on the year.

Jones did not appear in New England's final six games of the season and was inactive for the team's Week 17 loss to the New York Jets. He finished his disappointing 2023 season with 10 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions, and a 77.0 passer rating. Over his 42 games with New England, Jones completed 66 percent of his passes and threw 46 touchdowns to 36 interceptions to go with an 18-24 record as the team's starter.

Now the Patriots are back to the drawing board at quarterback. The team will likely use the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on a quarterback and select whoever is left over from the trio of Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye. New England is also reportedly signing Jacoby Brissett to a one-year deal (the move has not been announced by the Patriots) to serve as either a bridge to whomever they draft or a solid veteran backup in 2024.