Insider suggests Patriots teammates quit on QB Mac Jones

It’s been four weeks since the New England Patriots benched 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones for 2022 fourth-rounder Bailey Zappe, and while his numbers haven’t been drastically better, there has been a noticeable difference in the offense’s performance.

Zappe won as many games in four starts (two) as Jones did in 11, and SI.com’s Albert Breer believes it might have something to do with the third-year QB wearing out his welcome with his Patriots teammates.

“The Patriots most certainly haven’t quit on Bill Belichick, but given the way Bailey Zappe has sparked the offense, it’s certainly fair to wonder whether the players had given up on Mac Jones,” Breer wrote. “Jones’ string of bleep-ups in games coincided with similar plays showing up in practice, and while Zappe’s no world-beater, the players at least know what to expect when he’s in there.”