Based on all the rumors stemming back to last season, it was only a matter of time before the news about Mac Jones broke.
That's how Sunday morning began, as Adam Schefter announced the Patriots were trading the quarterback to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a sixth-round pick.
Trade: Patriots are finalizing a deal to send QB Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars, sources tell ESPN. The trade cannot be processed until the new league year begins Wednesday and he passes a physical. The two sides were discussing a 6th-round pick, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 10, 2024
Jones was… pic.twitter.com/dOceAGDDTm
It had seemed clear that Jones's time in New England with Bill Belichick was over, but some believed that with new head coach Jerod Mayo in charge, he might be given another shot as the starter for the 2024 season.
While that may have been true in a different year, the fact that they own the third overall pick and that all reports have suggested they're taking a quarterback seems far from the case this offseason.
He will now have a fresh start in his hometown, presumably serving as a backup to Trevor Lawrence, the first quarterback off the board in the same draft the Patriots took him. Jones will play out the final year of his contract in Jacksonville, and it will be interesting to see where his career goes from there, especially since he was hoping to be a QB1 for a team.
It will always be a "What if?" with him in Foxboro since he never seemed to be given the right tools to succeed in the northeast. His rookie season was impressive, and if Josh McDaniels had not left or the offense had been better equipped with talent, he may have been able to build upon that and be the player the Patriots hoped he would be.
But for now, a new era will begin with a new quarterback, likely from the draft. This seems to indicate Jerod Mayo's plan for the third overall pick, honing in on Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye. That was the rumor during the Combine last week, according to draft expert Daniel Jeremiah, who reiterated that plan shortly after Jones' trade.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, this was the expectation for NE from others in the league- Sign QB in 8-10 mil range (Brissett's name came up a bunch here) and stick and pick QB at 3.
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) March 10, 2024
Given Alex Van Pelt's links to several veteran quarterbacks due to his time with teams as a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, it seemed like this would be the likeliest outcome.