Mac Jones Rumors: Patriots QB 'Appreciated' How Jets Handled Zach Wilson Situation

Mac Jones of the New England Patriots and Zach Wilson of the New York Jets are both AFC East quarterbacks who went from being 2021 first-round picks to being benched this season, but the former reportedly wishes he was treated more like the latter.

Mark Daniels of Mass Live detailed Jones' journey to becoming the third-stringer and then inactive for the Patriots' final game of the 2023 campaign against the Jets.

Daniels noted "the Patriots quarterback was so bothered by his team's lack of communication" before that game that "he told a member of the Jets' staff that he appreciated how their organization handled Wilson's situation" and also "lamented to locker room confidants that no one talks to him."

Wilson was also benched, but Daniels cited a report from The Athletic that said the Jets were upfront with him and even said they would trade him during the offseason.

According to Daniels, Jones didn't even find out he would be inactive for that game until New England released the list of inactives 90 minutes prior to kickoff.

A Patriots source said the quarterback's relationship with former head coach Bill Belichick was "broken" to the point they didn't even communicate. With that as the backdrop, none of the coaches apparently told the Alabama product he would be the emergency third quarterback to end the season.

The game in question was an ugly one, as Trevor Siemian started for the Jets and Bailey Zappe started for the Patriots.

New York won 17-3 with Breece Hall running for 178 yards and the game's only touchdown. Siemian went 8-of-20 for 70 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions, while Zappe countered at 12-of-30 for 88 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions.

If nothing else, the game proved both teams probably need new franchise quarterbacks.

That surely wasn't what they hoped when the Jets selected Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2021 draft and the Patriots chose Jones at No. 15. But both have struggled throughout their careers and could be headed elsewhere this offseason.

Yet that isn't a guarantee for Jones, as Daniels reported "the door isn't shut" for a return since Jerod Mayo is now the head coach instead of Belichick. Still, there are no plans to pick up Jones' fifth-year option, and the team will look for an answer at quarterback this offseason.

It didn't seem like it would be this way when Jones threw for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns as a rookie, but he went a combined 8-17 as a starter with 24 touchdown passes to 23 interceptions the next two years in 2022 and 2023.

Now New England has the No. 3 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft and could select its next franchise signal-caller.