Mac Jones Trade Rumors: Belichick, Patriots 'Never Approached' Teams in Need of QB

The New England Patriots are reportedly not ruling out the possibility of trading quarterback Mac Jones this offseason, but that doesn't appear to be happening anytime soon.

According to The Athletic's Jeff Howe, "several high-ranking executives from quarterback-needy teams in both the AFC and NFC" said "the Patriots never approached them with the idea of trading Jones."

Despite a lackluster sophomore campaign in 2022, Jones still has support within the Patriots organization after his promising 2021 rookie season.

"I'm a big fan of Mac. He quarterbacked his rookie season and did a very fine job, I thought," team owner Robert Kraft said last week. "We made the playoffs. I think we experimented with some things last year [coachingwise] that frankly didn't work when it came to him, in my opinion. I think we made changes [this year] that I think put him in a good position to excel."

Jones threw for 2,997 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his 14 appearances last season. New England's offense struggled because of a questionable power dynamic between head coach Bill Belichick, play-caller Matt Patricia and quarterbacks coach Joe Judge. It contributed to an 8-9 finish that wasn't good enough to qualify for the playoffs.

To help avoid another disaster, Belichick hired Bill O'Brien as the team's offensive coordinator, while Judge is now an assistant head coach and it's unclear if Patricia will be back with the team.

The Patriots are hoping O'Brien will be able to help Jones return to the form that saw him earn a Pro Bowl selection in 2021.