Patriots Insider: Mac Jones 'Absolutely Not' a Trade Candidate During 2023 Offseason

The New England Patriots appear to be more than comfortable riding with Mac Jones as their starting quarterback in 2023.

During an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show Wednesday (1:15 mark), Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston noted that Jones is "absolutely not" a trade candidate this offseason, though he could be in 2024 with him entering the final year of his contract.

"I think that any speculation that Mac Jones would be trade bait or considered a trade object in 2023 is stupid," Curran said, as transcribed by NBC Sports Boston's Darren Hartwell. "Next year might be a different story with him entering the final year of his contract, whether or not the Patriots pick up his fifth-year option. But this year? Absolutely not."

Jones, the No. 15 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, had an impressive rookie season, completing 67.6 percent of his passes for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in 17 games.

The Alabama product led New England to a 10-7 record and a berth in the playoffs, though the team was eliminated by the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round.

Jones followed that up with a highly frustrating 2022 season that saw the Patriots finish with an 8-9 record and miss the playoffs for the second time in the last three seasons. With Josh McDaniels off to Las Vegas, the second-year quarterback struggled, completing 65.2 percent of his passes for 2,997 yards and 14 touchdowns against 11 interceptions in 14 games.

To be fair to Jones, the Patriots had a lackluster offensive system in place with Matt Patricia and Joe Judge at the helm. Both assistants were heavily criticized throughout the season, which led to New England hiring Bill O'Brien as its new offensive coordinator ahead of the 2023 campaign.

Jones at least deserves a shot to show what he can do in 2023, and Patriots owner Robert Kraft already expressed confidence in the signal-caller this offseason during an appearance on Cavuto: Coast to Coast on the Fox Business channel earlier this month.

"We are blessed to have a great young quarterback in Mac Jones as our quarterback. I'm a strong believer in him and his development," Kraft said, per Evan Lazar of the team's website.

If things don't turn out the way New England hopes in 2023, Jones could be on the move in 2024. The Patriots will face a big decision when they have to decide whether or not to pick up the quarterback's 2025 fifth-year option, which could be worth more than $30 million.

Right now, though, all the focus seems to be on the present and getting the team back to the playoffs.