Mac Jones Trade: Are Any New England Patriots 'Untouchable'?
Some expect the New England Patriots to make a splash before Tuesday's NFL trade deadline. A move discussed by ESPN insider Adam Schefter would create a tidal wave.
During a Monday appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," Schefter addressed the idea of the Patriots, trapped at the bottom of the AFC at the de facto midway mark of the 2023 NFL season, trading franchise quarterback Mac Jones.
Such a deal would officially turn the page away from the gruesome opening chapters of the post-Tom Brady era. A potential opening for Jones opened up under painful circumstances, as the Minnesota Vikings might be searching for a quarterback to finish the year after their franchise man, Kirk Cousins, was lost to a season-ending torn Achilles in a Sunday win over Green Bay.
Schefter however, notes that New England (2-6) might see enough upside in the embattled Jones to allow him to at least finish the season. They're also reportedly dissatisfied with the current crop of backups featuring 2022 draft pick Bailey Zappe, veteran Will Grier, and undrafted rookie Malik Cunningham.
Time may be short on the Mac Jones era but the Patriots appear poised to keep him after the trade deadline
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“Mac Jones is interesting, but then that’s New England just cashing out on its season," Schefter said. "One of the reasons the Patriots haven’t made a quarterback change is they just don’t have another guy right now that they feel they can turn to.
"If you’re trading away Mac Jones in a season that’s gone south anyway, OK, but that’s checking out at less than the halfway mark, which just seems a little strange to me when they like Mac Jones and they don’t have another guy.”
Even with Jones' inconsistency, he could perhaps serve as a temporary upgrade to a team facing passing problems: Minnesota, for example, is set to turn to fifth-round rookie Jaren Hall as they sit in the third and final NFC Wild Card slot. Schefter, however, says that any rumor of Jones heading to Minneapolis would be the "first (he's) heard of it."
The awkward nature of trading quarterbacks in-season also makes it hard to gauge any sort of market for return ... especially with the Vikings' drastically short notice.
“What do the Vikings give up for him, and what are the Patriots willing to trade him for?" Schefter rhetorically asked. "It's hard to come up with that equation to make it work for both sides, for any quarterback, Mac Jones or anybody.”
No quarterback has been involved in an in-season trade since 2021 when Joe Flacco was traded from the Philadelphia Eagles to the New York Jets. The Patriots had a role in one of the more ground-breaking aerial trades back in 2017 when they traded presumed Brady heir Jimmy Garoppolo to San Francisco for a future second-round pick (that was eventually traded to Detroit).
With Jones presumably in tow, the Patriots will return to action on Sunday when they host the Washington Commanders at Gillette Stadium (1 p.m. ET, Fox).
