Sources – Patriots finalizing trade of QB Mac Jones to Jaguars

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots They are finalizing an agreement to trade the quarterback Mac Jones toward Jacksonville Jaguarsleague sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday.

The Patriots will receive a 2024 sixth-round pick as compensation, sources told Schefter. The trade cannot be processed until the new league year begins Wednesday and Jones passes a physical.

New England owns the third pick in the NFL draft, where many around the league expect them to select one of the highest-rated quarterbacks, likely a decision between L.S.U.‘s Jayden Daniels and North Carolina‘s drake maye.

Jones, who grew up in Jacksonville, joins his hometown team as a backup for Trevor Lorenzo — the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft. Jones was selected 15th overall in the 2021 draft.

Jones is expected to compete with CJ Beathard be Lawrence’s main backup. Beathard is in the final year of a two-year, $4.5 million contract he signed ahead of the 2023 season.

Beathard has started just one game in his three seasons in Jacksonville, completing 17 of 24 passes for 178 yards to lead the Jaguars to a 26-0 victory over the carolina panthers in Week 17 last season. That was the Jaguars’ only win in their last six games, as they finished 9-8 and failed to make the playoffs.

Lawrence had started every game of his NFL career until he missed Week 17 due to a right shoulder injury suffered the previous week in a loss in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Lawrence battled multiple injuries last season: a sprained left knee, a sprained ankle, a concussion and a shoulder injury. He did not fully participate in any practices during the final three weeks of the season.

Jones’ three years with the Patriots began with promise, as he was selected to the Pro Bowl as an alternate in his rookie season. Jones started all 17 regular-season games as the Patriots finished 10-7 and clinched a playoff berth (losing to the buffalo bills 47-17 in the wild card round).

Jones was 352-for-521 for 3,801 yards with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions as a rookie, but his production declined over the next two seasons. The departure of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to become the Las Vegas RaidersThe head coach was the first of several changes, both coaching and personnel, that affected Jones’ development.

In 2022, former Patriots coach Bill Belichick turned to veteran defensive coach Matt Patricia as the team’s offensive play-caller and asked Patricia to implement his vision for the offense. Veteran special teams coach Joe Judge was named quarterbacks coach. The marriage to Patricia, Judge and Jones did not produce the desired results, with Jones finishing 288 of 442 for 2,997 yards with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. An early-season ankle injury also affected Jones, who acknowledged there were decisions on the field that he could have handled better.

Belichick then hired former Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien to lead the offense in 2023, hoping to get Jones back on track, but it never came to fruition. Jones finished last season 224-for-345 for 2,120 yards with 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and Belichick benched him after 11 games in favor of Bailey Zappe.

The Patriots currently have Zappe and a second-year player. Nathan Rourke on their quarterback depth chart.

The team had single picks in each round of the draft, so a sixth-round pick gives them one additional pick in that round and eight overall.

ESPN’s Michael DiRocco contributed to this report.