NFL Rumors: Wild Cowboys-Bears trade, Vikings shocking QB bridge, Mac Jones stunner

NFL Rumors: Mac Jones could return as Patriots QB in 2024

Most NFL fans and analysts have already written in Sharpie that Mac Jones won't be the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots in the 2024 season or beyond. His time with former head coach Bill Belichick ended disastrously and it almost appeared as if the former Alabama star and first-round pick was nothing more than damaged goods at this point in his career.

New Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo, however, might disagree.

Mark Daniels of MassLive.com recently went in-depth about the situation with Jones in New England and what led to his precipitous fall from grace. As part of that, Daniels reported that the departure of Belichick could buy the quarterback some newfound opportunities under a new coaching regime and that Jones still could be the starter in the 2024 season.

"The relationship between Belichick and Jones ended so poorly that sources all but guaranteed Jones wouldn’t be back with the Patriots had Belichick returned. With Jerod Mayo now in charge, the door isn’t shut, sources agreed."

There are two obvious takeaways from this reporting for me. First of all, it would make some sense for a new coaching regime and a new offensive coordinator not heavily tied to Belichick to want to give a former first-rounder still on a rookie contract another crack at being QB1. However, Mayo is part of the Belichick tree as an internal hire, so how sure are we that he wouldn't have similar feelings toward Jones to what his predecessor did?

We don't know that answer just yet, but perhaps a turning of the page in the Patriots is exactly what Jones needed to get another shot at this. Maybe it flames out spectacularly, but it'll be fascinating to see what New England does with this situation, especially while holding the No. 3 overall pickin the 2024 NFL Draft.