3 QBs who need to be benched after Week 6

NFL rumors: Could Patriots bench Mac Jones?

Given Jones’ status as a former first-round pick, it would be surprising if he lost his job while injured, but stick with me.

In his absence, Bailey Zappe has led the Patriots admirably, especially considering no one had heard of him prior to this season. New England knows more about Zappe than the average fan, of course, but Jones failed to throw more than one touchdown in any of his starts this season. He’s taken a significant step back, and much of that can be attributed to the lack of sustainability at OC since Josh McDaniels moved on to Las Vegas.

As FanSided’s Josh Wilson points out, Zappe has played better than Jones, but against inferior competition. Could this play a role in the Pats decision-making?

"“Let’s keep in mind Jones faced a superior slate of opponents in his three games. It included the Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens. Zappe has faced the Packers (who have not looked as good as we thought they were!), Lions, and now Browns. Zappe looks good, but he’s feasting on inferior teams.”"

Given his body of work, Zappe deserves the opportunity more, but Jones will more than likely regain his role once he returns from injury, which could be as soon as next week.

But if he struggles, Bill Belichick knows Zappe is a player he can rely on.