New England Patriots quarterbacks Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe endured a challenging 2023 season on the field - and their relationship off the gridiron may have been even worse.
Jones, a Pro Bowler as a rookie in 2021, had a second consecutive underwhelming campaign, ultimately being replaced by Zappe for the final six games.
All the while, the duo's interactions behind the scenes weren't smooth sailing ... perhaps best evidenced by Zappe relocating to watch film in 2022.
"The quarterback room (Jones) was in the last two years got toxic, to the point where Bailey Zappe, as a rookie, sometimes watched tape in the receiver room," Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer wrote.
Jones completed 64.9 percent of his passes for 2,120 yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. New England went 2-9 with Jones as a starter.
The Patriots were a modest 2-4 under Zappe, who threw for 1,272 yards, six touchdowns and nine interceptions while connecting on 59.9 percent of his attempts.
Neither passer inspired confidence they're worth moving forward with next season - but with Jerod Mayo replacing Bill Belichick as head coach and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt entering the fold, questions about Jones and Zappe's status persist.
Still, since Mayo, previously the Patriots' linebackers coach, was inside the building to witness the fizzling relationship, Jones' odds of returning as starter appear to be slim at best.
"It’s really hard to live down your history with an NFL team, and Jones’s with the New England Patriots is not good," Breer wrote. "He was drafted 15th and hasn’t come close to living up to his slot. He was good as a rookie, and regressed badly since.
"He was well-liked early on, but, over time, lost support in the building."
This history won't just disappear with a new staff - and if Jones returns but experiences early struggles, the situation could tarnish Mayo's first season at the helm.
Consider further New England's rights to the No. 3 overall pick in April's draft - which could net a quarterback in North Carolina's Drake Maye or LSU's Jayden Daniels - and Jones' hopes are only further worsened.
So, what's next for the 25-year-old who's still on his rookie contract?
"I think the ideal for Jones is he lands somewhere like San Francisco as a backup, gets a year to learn, play if there’s an injury, and rebuild his name and reputation in the league," Breer writes. "I think there’s a good quarterback—like a Chad Pennington type—in there somewhere.
"Someone can probably get that out of him. I don’t think it can be the Patriots."
Jones and Zappe professionally handled the quarterback carousel this past year - but at least in 2022, when Zappe made two starts and garnered some fan support after Jones suffered an injury, tensions between the two arose.
Now, those tensions may play a central role in Jones being out of the Patriots' long-term plan.
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