Patriots QB Mac Jones Still on Trading Block? NFL Insider Reveals 'Weird' Situation
Here we go again. That is likely what New England Patriots fans are thinking, as the rumors of trading third-year quarterback Mac Jones are not going away.
Even after Patriots head coach Bill Belichick gave a verbal denial regarding any uncertainty around Jones following Day 2 of the NFL Draft; they aren't subsiding.
The latest fuel for the continually burning fire surrounding Jones stems from a new report by Albert Breer. Speaking in an interview with NBC Sports Boston, Breer said NFL general managers remain convinced Jones is on the trading block despite Belichick’s recent vote of confidence.
“I got a call from a general manager asking me what was going on with Mac Jones — from another team,” Breer said last weekend. “So, it’s floating around the league right now that, like, something weird is happening here, and that if you need a quarterback, call. And this was a team that could’ve taken a quarterback but didn’t."
The Patriots certainly had their opportunity to draft another quarterback during the NFL Draft, as they passed on Kentucky quarterback Will Levis at 17 for cornerback Christian Gonzalez. Then, they passed on Tennessee's Hendon Hooker with the No. 46 overall pick in favor of Keion White.
“And there are a lot of teams that are sort of in that wheelhouse.” Breer said. “There were teams that were looking at quarterbacks [in the draft] that were like, ‘Alright, if this guy’s debatable, that guy’s debatable, maybe we look at some sort of Plan B on the veteran market after the draft’. And Mac was actually a guy that I got a call on.”
While Belichick did say on Friday that the starting quarterback job is up for competition like any other position, the move by the Patriots to then sign undrafted free agent Malik Cunningham to a record-breaking $200,000 guaranteed contract is another eyebrow-raising move.
The Patriots are saying one thing while their actions indicate another, thus creating that "weird" situation.
Follow Harrison Reno on Twitter
Follow Patriots Country on Twitter and Facebook
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Patriots? Click Here
More Patriots coverage from Sports Illustrated here.
