3 most likely scenarios the Patriots will go through this season

Ride it out with Mac Jones for the rest of the season

Probably the most likely scenario of all is the decision to ride it out with Mac Jones as the starting quarterback for the entire 2023 season and deal with whatever that means at the end of the year.

Because the roster does not currently have a more viable candidate to take over under center, keeping the quarterback who has been the starter for the team since 2021 would make the most sense regardless of how he performs.

There's no sense in denying that Jones was not set up to succeed this season with the mediocre offensive roster surrounding him. From the lack of proper depth on the offensive line to trying to hide the fact there is no game-changing wide receiver on the team, he's had a lot of obstacles to overcome that have been the cause of some struggles he's faced.

He has also created difficult situations for himself and the team with bad decision-making and turnovers that put them in a hole early on, but benching him for the season feels a bit unjust when how the team has fared this season doesn't solely fall on his shoulders.

Given the current landscape of the AFC, it would seem improbable that the Patriots will be a competitive team this year. With their schedule being the most difficult in the league and the tension within the team due to their questionable performances, getting back on track enough to get into postseason contention is improbable, making the decision to ride with Jones potentially easier to deal with.

It all depends on what the goal of the season presumably becomes. It may even come down to what Robert Kraft suggests since he's made his disappointment clear about the last three seasons.