Patriots have reportedly decided the fate of Mac Jones

The debate about what will inevitably happen with Mac Jones is coupled with the conversation surrounding who the Patriots will draft in the first round this year.

Because it seems apparent that he isn't the quarterback of the future for the team, and the assumption is his replacement will be drafted, the fate of the young player remains a topic of discussion that most have seemingly agreed about.

Fans and the media have decided it would be best for Jones to be traded to a team that would value him and bring him back to the player we saw during his rookie season. It's clear the damage has been done throughout his three years in New England, and there's likely nothing they can do to instill the confidence that has escaped him because of it.

But even though those outside Gillette Stadium have concluded how the Patriots should handle the situation, it didn't appear that Jerod Mayo and Co. had felt the same.

The new head coach didn't shut down the idea of keeping Jones as the starting quarterback moving forward, acknowledging the hardships he was dealt over the last two seasons and hoping that stability this year could help him out. That could still be the case, but Karen Guregian and Mark Daniels of MassLive have reported a decision might have been made already.

"According to a source, it’s still expected that the Patriots will trade Jones this offseason. The 2021 first-round pick will likely benefit from a fresh start."

Although it's not entirely shocking, given how Jones's performance has rapidly declined over the last two seasons, it seems quite a jump from floating the idea of keeping him on the roster not too long ago.

Their high first-round draft pick and new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt's connections to veteran quarterbacks may explain the swift turnaround. However, it still seems premature without knowing how they'll fare in free agency and the draft.

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