Patriots Rumors: Mac Jones as QB1 vs. Giants over Zappe Is 'Most Likely Outcome'

The New England Patriots apparently aren't ready to move on from Mac Jones just yet.

Dan Graziano of ESPN reported Jones starting Sunday's game against the New York Giants is the "most likely outcome," though Bailey Zappe will be on standby if the third-year quarterback continues to struggle.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Jones sounded optimistic he'll be under center on Sunday:

Patriots coach Bill Belichick has kept mum on his starting quarterback for this week after Jones was benched in the second half of Week 10's game against the Indianapolis Colts. It was the third time this season Zappe has replaced an ineffective Jones.

The Alabama product, who looked the part of a potential franchise quarterback as a rookie, has been one of the NFL's worst quarterbacks over the last two seasons. He has as many interceptions this season as touchdowns (10), and his 3.1 percent interception rate ranks as one of the highest in the league.

Offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien was seen screaming at Jones on the sideline during the ugly loss in Germany to the Colts.

"That's kind of the way I coach. Sometimes, the way to get the point across is to be very demanding and very intense about it. that's how I coach, that's how I am," O'Brien told reporters.

The Patriots starting Jones makes sense on multiple levels. They will have to make a decision on his fifth-year option this offseason, and the coaching staff needs to give him every opportunity it can to develop. New England's season is already a wash at 2-8, and Zappe is decidedly not the answer.

If Jones continues to struggle, that's not exactly a bad thing. USC's Caleb Williams and North Carolina's Drake Maye sit atop the quarterback rankings for the 2024 NFL draft, and both project as a far superior option to Jones at this point. Throwing Jones into the deep end and allowing him to sink in favor of a better draft pick may not be in the Patriots' nature, but it may be the only thing left to turn their fortunes around.