Could the New England Patriots upgrade their quarterback for 2023?

Could there be any chance at all that the New England Patriots move on from Mac Jones after 2022 and upgrade for the 2023 season?

What I would be referencing here is just about the worst case scenario for the New England Patriots.  In some world, perhaps far away, the team regresses mightily in year two with Mac Jones, perhaps only winning a few games, and putting into question the long-term viability of many players.

Usually, something like that would begin with the quarterback.

Could the New England Patriots cut the cord on Mac Jones after 2022 if his second season isn’t as good as many think it’ll be?

Come 2023, the New England Patriots are going to have both cap space and draft picks, which is the formula needed to potentially acquire quarterback who presents an upgrade over Mac Jones.

This may seem unlikely, but there is no reason to believe it isn’t possible.

First, Mac Jones would have to play very, very poorly.  He would have to regress from his year one performance, throwing more interceptions, making more bad decisions, and putting his team in bad spots.

Most of us know what bad quarterback play looks like; we haven’t seen it from the Patriots that much, but we’ve seen it from other teams.

The next part of this equation would be the team winning less games, obviously, and Bill Belichick not attributing Mac Jones’ decline to the offensive playcalling, which looks like it will end up being Matt Patricia’s job.

Then, a realistic situation would have to develop between the Patriots and a veteran quarterback who could be had in a trade.

In the AFC, Lamar Jackson could be someone who might find himself on a new team for 2023.  He is currently playing on his fifth-year option, and does not have an agent, so the contract situation with him and the Ravens is interesting, to say the least.

What happens if the Ravens go through the entire 2022 season without an extension, and then Jackson wants more money than the Ravens are willing to pay?

In the NFC, I really only see one scenario where the Patriots could acquire a veteran quarterback, and that’s Jalen Hurts.  If the Eagles do not take a big enough jump with Jalen Hurts, he could be on the outs, and in some ways, both Hurts and Jackson fit the Patriots’ run-first offense better.

Both quarterbacks are excellent with their legs and could allow the offense to continue to rely on the ground game to win.

With the current state of the Patriots receiving core, or perhaps their 2023 projection, it could make even more sense to look at someone like Hurts or Jackson if Mac Jones takes a leap the wrong way.

Now, with all of that said, I do not think this is likely, even a little bit, but with the AFC being filled with young, dual-threat quarterbacks, it’s been a thought of mine.

What happens if Mac Jones turns into the next Kirk Cousins?  Is that a player the Patriots would trust as their franchise quarterback?