FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots are finalizing a deal to commerce quarterback Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars, league sources advised ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday
The 2 sides had been discussing a sixth-round draft choose as compensation, sources advised Schefter. The commerce can’t be processed till the brand new league 12 months begins Wednesday and Jones passes a bodily.
The Patriots personal the No. 3 choose within the NFL draft, the place many across the NFL count on them to pick out one of many top-rated quarterbacks — probably a call between LSU’s Jayden Daniels and North Carolina’s Drake Maye.
Jones, who grew up in Jacksonville, joins his hometown group as a backup to Trevor Lawrence — the primary choose within the 2021 draft. Jones had been chosen fifteenth total within the 2021 draft.
Jones is predicted to compete with C.J. Beathard to be Lawrence’s main backup. Beathard is within the closing 12 months of a two-year, $4.5 million contract he signed earlier than the 2023 season.
Beathard began only one recreation in his three seasons in Jacksonville, finishing 17 of 24 passes for 178 yards to steer the Jaguars to a 26-0 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Week 17 final season. After they began 8-3, that was the one recreation the Jaguars gained for the remainder of the season, they usually didn’t make the playoffs.
Lawrence had began each recreation of his NFL profession for the reason that Jaguars took him first total in 2021 till he missed the Panthers recreation due to a proper (throwing) shoulder damage he suffered the week earlier than in a loss on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Lawrence battled a number of accidents final season: a left knee sprain, an ankle sprain, a concussion and the shoulder damage. He wasn’t a full participant in any apply over the past three weeks of the season.
Jones’ three-year tenure with the Patriots started with promise, as he was chosen to the Professional Bowl as an alternate in his rookie season. Jones began all 17 regular-season video games because the Patriots went 10-7 and clinched a wild-card spherical playoff berth (shedding to the Buffalo Payments 47-17).
Jones was 352 of 521 for 3,801 yards, with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions as a rookie, however his manufacturing dipped over the subsequent two seasons. The departure of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to develop into the Las Vegas Raiders head coach was the primary of a number of modifications — each coaching- and personnel-wise — that affected Jones’ improvement.
In 2022, former Patriots head coach Invoice Belichick turned to longtime defensive coach Matt Patricia because the group’s offensive play-caller, asking Patricia to implement his new imaginative and prescient for the offense. Longtime particular groups coach Joe Choose was named quarterbacks coach. The wedding with Patricia, Choose and Jones did not produce the specified outcomes, with Jones ending 288 of 442 for two,997 yards with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. An early season ankle damage additionally affected Jones, who acknowledged there have been on-field selections he additionally may have dealt with higher himself.
Belichick then employed former Patriots offensive coordinator Invoice O’Brien to steer the offense in 2023, in hopes of getting Jones again on observe, nevertheless it by no means got here to fruition. Jones completed final season 224 of 345 for two,120 yards with 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, with Belichick benching him after 11 video games in favor of Bailey Zappe.
The Patriots presently have Zappe and second-year participant Nathan Rourke on their quarterback depth chart.
The group had single picks in every spherical of the draft, so a sixth-round choose offers them an extra choose in that spherical, and eight total picks.
ESPN’s Michael DiRocco contributed to this report.
