Report: Mac Jones' Relationship with Patriots Has Gotten 'Sideways' amid Injury

Mac Jones was apparently among those asking questions when the New England Patriots made Matt Patricia a de facto offensive coordinator this offseason.

During The Dan Patrick Show on Monday, Albert Breer of The MMQB expanded on how the relationship between Jones and the team has gotten "a little sideways," a dynamic that began the year before, as he initially discussed on Patriots Pregame Live.

Jones was curious about some of the team's decisions, such as utilizing Patricia and Joe Judge to replace outgoing offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

In addition, Breer said there was "some natural friction there," which got exacerbated by his high ankle sprain. Jones didn't want to get surgery, while the Patriots preferred to have him undergo a procedure to address the injury.

The conversation begins at the 10:30 mark.

Jones' inquisitive nature runs counter to New England's culture a bit, per Breer, because head coach Bill Belichick wields so much influence. As a result, the coaches might be attempting to "send a message to Mac" while he recovers from his ankle injury.

That would provide more context to Belichick's response when asked about who the Pats will start at quarterback when Jones is 100 percent again. He declined to commit to Jones or Bailey Zappe.

Belichick has rarely let his emotions get in the way of personnel moves. But even Tom Brady wore out his welcome eventually.

In Jones, the Patriots clearly hoped to find a long-term successor to Brady; otherwise, they wouldn't have selected him in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. The 24-year-old provided strong early returns by throwing for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns as a rookie and leading New England to the postseason.

Zappe has performed well in Jones' absence and is coming off a 309-yard, two-touchdown outing in a 38-15 win over the Cleveland Browns.

Still, it's premature to believe a genuine quarterback controversy is brewing in New England or that the franchise is starting to waffle on Jones as the starter beyond this campaign. As Breer asserted, this may be more a case of the Patriots reminding him who exactly is in charge.