Latest Patriots rumor could be another bad sign for the future of Mac Jones

Wouldn't it be nice to go one day without a new rumor popping up about Bill Belichick's job security, whether or not Mac Jones is liked inside Gillette Stadium, or alleged behind-the-scenes drama because the Patriots are a losing team right now?

It would make for a bit more of an enjoyable season, to say the least. But unfortunately for fans and Jones, another new piece of gossip is starting to make waves online this week, primarily due to the lack of movement before the trade deadline.

According to a report by ESPN's Dan Graziano, the Patriots didn't receive any genuine interest in acquiring the quarterback via trade last week. Because of that, Graziano then revealed the latest whispers he's been hearing around Foxboro, suggesting some inside the organization are not opposed to seeing Bailey Zappe taking over under center if things don't shape up with Jones soon.

"I don’t get the sense that Jones is in any danger of being benched for this week’s game against a suddenly slightly more toothless Washington defense, but there are some in the building who wouldn’t mind giving Bailey Zappe a shot if Jones doesn’t show improvement soon."

Although it's not exactly the most newsworthy rumor since Zappe Fever hasn't been completely cured yet, it's an odd revelation when looking back at the few opportunities the second-year quarterback has been given this season when Jones was benched in back-to-back games.

Zappe did not perform miracles on the field, nor did he look any better than Jones when he went in against the Cowboys and the Saints. If anything, it would be fair to say he looked worse and didn't add anything to the offense's hope to get back in either game.

So why would anyone within the Patriots organization feel it's necessary to give him even more chances after seeing he was clearly not an upgrade over Jones?

It's possible there is some validity to this rumor, which would be a bad sign for the future of Jones as the quarterback moving forward. But it could also be a bunch of made-up gossip to pile on an already overly-discussed situation to continue the negative conversation.

Unfortunately, this is an unfamiliar place for the Patriots to be in, making it almost impossible to decipher what is true and what is purely false. It's part of the game when a team is performing poorly with several jobs in jeopardy, including the head coach and quarterback, and everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon of adding more unfavorable things to say.

We'll never know the truth of the matter, but hopefully, it's not catching enough wind inside the locker room to become a distraction or an issue for the rest of the season, especially since this is just the latest chapter of a long list of rumors involving Jones.

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